All We'd Ever Need
by the.terrorist
Summary: Yoh/Anna. How do you deal with everything you have tried so hard to forget, when every moment spent by his side is killing you slowly on the inside?
1. Prologue

Night had fallen over the city of Tokyo, its darkness all-consuming. Although it was summer, the temperatures were unusually low; a cold spell seemed to cover the town like a blanket. The sky was completely black, with no signs of bright stars or full moon. Clouds had gathered, clouds that promised rain.

The house was dark and silent. There was nothing about it that resembled what it once used to be. No laughter could be heard ringing across its hallways, and the peaceful atmosphere was gone—had been gone for a long time, most would agree.

There was only one room that was lit faintly.

Two figures sat facing each other across the low coffee table.

One, a woman, was sitting on the couch, legs crossed elegantly, one elbow on the armrest. Her gaze was turned downwards, a quiet sense of defeat looming over her like a black, ominous cloud.

The other, a man, was standing before her, hands that were buried in his pockets clenched into fists. His posture was far from relaxed, and his eyes bore none of the calmness hers did—there was a fire burning in them, emotions raging beneath the surface.

"I don't think…" she started, her voice soft, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over them, "…This is going to work anymore. I'm not sure it ever did."

"You want it, then?" he asked, almost instantly, in response, hands shaking from the effort it took to keep his anger in check.

She shook her head sadly. "We both do."

"Fine," he spat, and with that last word, stormed out of the room.

The sound of the front door slamming behind him echoed in the empty house.

It was only then that the woman allowed herself to let her guard down, blonde hair falling over her shoulders, obscuring her face as tears spilled down her cheeks.


	2. One

_**A/N:** Hello! This is the project I was telling you about. The updates will be sporadic—I currently have two more chapters written ahead, but I prefer not to post them right away, because then who knows when the next update will be? Anyway, I'm playing with a somewhat different style for this story. The chapters will be rather short, and the focus will be mainly on the dialogue—or at the very least, on what happens, not on what the characters think.  
><em>

_Pictures will be available, as usual. For inspiration, teasers, and rambles, you can check my blog. The link is on my profile._

_Now, enjoy the first chapter!_

* * *

><p>"We need to discuss dividing—conjugal property."<p>

"No, we don't." The reply was firm and instantaneous. "I had nothing when I married him, and I don't want anything of his."

The sharp-looking official sitting behind the desk eyed the woman unsurely. "Are you sure?"

A firm nod was what he received in response. "Yes."

Her answer prevented the man beside her from arguing, from disagreeing, like he had initially felt the need to do. Where would she go? What would she do? Those questioned plagued his mind, but he pushed them away. Anna was smart. She had gone to college, and she had always managed on her own. Her well-being was not his concern anymore, and she had made that clear.

"Are you sure there is no way you can solve your problems?" the man pressed, one last attempt at making the couple change their minds—at making them look at each other in the eye at least once that day.

Not a word was said in response.

Asakura Yoh, the man that had seemed so in love, so completely devoted to the woman beside him, simply looked away, one hand stroking his clenched jaw.

His wife, such a contrasting character, a woman that had seemed ready to support him in everything, lowered her head, her golden hair and the hand that was resting over her forehead obscuring her face.

The judge, however, had seen enough to last a lifetime. He knew there were tears slipping from her eyes now.

"Can I have the papers?" Her voice nearly broke, but she managed to keep it even. Her hand discreetly wiped at her flawless cheeks as she tucked her hair behind her ear, before shifting forward in her seat, reaching for the pen he had offered her.

Her hand trembled as she signed her name in the space destined for her. Placing the pen on top of the papers, she took a deep breath, and stood.

"Thank you," she said, genuinely.

Then she exited the room, and never once looked back, the sound of her heels clicking on the floor the only sign of her presence, along with the subtle scent of her perfume—and her signature, black on white.

* * *

><p>A quiet sigh escaped Anna's lips as she dropped yet another blouse in the large, black suitcase spread out on the king-sized bed.<p>

Flopping down on the mattress, she rested her elbows on her knees and ran her hands through her long, blonde hair, her eyes closing on their own accord as the familiar prickle of tears started to make its presence known. Titling her head, she gazed sideways at the neatly made bed. She gave in after a moment, lying down, her face buried in one of the pillows—his own. She almost chocked on the lump that had formed in her throat as she breathed in.

She loved him. That was the truth. She loved him with all her heart—the heart that was slowly breaking into a thousand little pieces right now.

Tears stung her eyes as she inhaled his scent for the very last time. It was faint—it had been a long time since he last slept home—but it was there.

It took every ounce of her willpower and determination to control her meltdown and stand up.

Packing the last of her clothes, she zipped her suitcase closed, before finally straightening her posture. With her hands buried in the back pockets of her jeans, she looked around. The house had been her home for years; not only did it pain her to leave it behind, but it _disconcerted_ her. She had nowhere else to go.

Her expression hardening, she wiped the tears from her cheeks. She had nowhere else to go, but that would soon change.

It was over. It had been over for a long time, longer than she dared to admit.

Taking a deep breath, she reached for her suitcase, pulling it off the bed and setting it on the floor.

Tomorrow, she would start over. There was nothing to worry about. She would make it, just like she had always done.

About to exit the room, she stopped when she noticed something gleaming from the corner of her eye. With a sad smile, she abandoned her luggage near the door and slowly made her way towards the dresser.

It was a picture of the two of them, taken on their wedding day. It was candid—she was smiling her most beautiful smile while he hugged her from behind, also grinning from ear to ear.

It was a while since she last saw him smile like that, she reflected. Was he truly that unhappy with her? She shook her head. Whatever the answer to that question was, it didn't matter anymore. He could be happy now. She was gone.

She sensed him rather than heard him. Brown eyes set firmly on her figure, he stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall with one shoulder.

"I…" he started, and almost immediately paused to clear his throat. "I didn't know you'd leave tonight."

"What's the point in staying?" she asked. She believed she did a good job at keeping her tears from showing in her voice.

"Where are you going?"

She thought about lying, about pretending that she knew exactly what she was going to do with her life, now that he wasn't in it anymore. But then she realized she had no reason to do that. Yoh's protective nature—something she had once loved—had been gone for a long time. He did not care anymore, even if she sometimes found that hard to believe.

"I don't know."

"Anna…" he murmured.

Anna was sure she had imagined the hint of worry in his voice.

She shrugged. "I'll figure it out." She frowned, and then swallowed. Her throat felt dry. "Do you mind… if I… take this?"

Yoh glanced at the frame she held in her hands. "I thought you didn't want anything," he said.

"I supposed this isn't extremely important to you."

There was a moment of hesitation from his part before he answered. "You can take it."

She nodded, and made quick work of taking the photograph out of its frame. She cleared her throat as she folded it in half and turned to face him.

"I didn't take anything else," she announced. "I figured you didn't need my clothes, but the jewelry is there… everything you or your family ever gave me. The laptop, the car keys, the credit card… they're all there. The keys to the house," she added, taking a few steps forward to hand him a set of keys that had previously been resting in her hands.

Yoh took them, trying hard to ignore the way her hands shook, as well as the electric current that still traveled through him at the simple touch of her skin.

"Oh," she said, her hands coming up to take off the diamond earrings he had given her so much time ago. "And these," she added, handing them back.

"Anna…" He shook his head, extending his hand back towards her. "I don't need these."

Her smile was bitter, but her words were gentle. "Me neither. I never did. So, keep them. Maybe in the near future, you will find someone else to give them to."

He stopped her before she could walk past him, looking down at her smaller figure. "But everything my family gave you… My mother—"

"Everything they gave me was because I was your wife," she said. "But not anymore."

"Everything they gave you was because they _loved_ you," he insisted.

The tiny pieces of her heart shattered even more when she realized that he—he had never loved her. He didn't even bother to deny it now.

She shook her head. "They loved who I was. They didn't love _me_." Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the bedroom. "Goodbye, Yoh." She turned to look at him one last time. "I hope… I hope that you manage to find someone who will love you—the way you want to be loved. Because I never figured that one out."

* * *

><p>Saying that she didn't miss him would be a terrible lie.<p>

It was as though her entire body _craved_ his presence, but that was something she was used to—something she had become used to long before they divorced.

The knowledge that she had now lost him forever, let go of him willingly and knowingly was disturbing, like putting salt on a raw wound, but it also held a certain degree of comfort.

At least there were no more fights, no more screams, no more hurtful accusations thrown carelessly at her. Her heart ached, true, but it was a dull ache, and the tears that left her eyes were now stray, random. No more breakdowns, no more emotional damage. No more living on the edge, wondering when he would be back home, and whether maybe, just maybe, they could enjoy the few hours of his time that he dedicated to her this time.

Standing in front of the mirror now, she knew it had all been for the better.

Almost a month had passed, and she wondered, deep inside, if he had even acknowledged her absence yet.

Gazing down at the object lying innocently on the edge of the sink, she let out a soft sigh. "If this isn't it, I don't know what it could be," she murmured to herself.

Of course, she, as a logical woman, knew it was not impossible. There had been a time, two months prior to their separation. The night was hazy, because they had had a fight before, and she always tried to bury memories of their fights deep inside her mind, where not even she could find them. But just because she didn't remember, didn't mean it hadn't happened.

And when she looked back down at the sink, she knew she had the proof right in front of her eyes.

For a moment, all she could do was stare.

Then the tears came, and a shuddering breath left her lips. "And I, who wanted nothing to do with you anymore," she scoffed quietly, an ironic, fleeting smile on her features. "Of course you would follow me everywhere. Of course you would," she repeated, sniffling quietly.

The moment she wiped her tears away, though, she realized that she had come to terms with this situation before she was even sure it existed.

A smile titled the corners of her lips upwards.

"This is not going to be easy," she murmured. "Nothing with me ever is. But it's going to be alright, eventually. Because," she continued, her voice breaking, as tears spilled down her cheeks again, and her hand came to rest over her stomach, "You'll have me. And, no matter what, I promise… I will _never_ abandon you."

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Don't forget to tell me what you thought! Review!_


	3. Two

_**A/N:** Thank you to everybody who reviewed! Your support means the world to me! **  
>devotedreader<strong>, I didn't abandon any of my stories. I'll finish them all, eventually. I just took a break from some of them :D_

_A couple of additional details: Both Anna and Yoh were twenty-two in the previous chapter. Six years passed, which makes them twenty-eight. Or, well, I guess Yoh can be twenty-nine, since he is one year older than Anna. _

_Speaking of, our favorite blonde might be a bit OOC at times in this story—because that's the way I see her after everything that's happened and the time that's passed._

_Enjoy!_

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><p>"Okay, here we are," Anna announced as they came to stand in front of a large, steel door.<p>

"Is this it?" the child in her arms questioned, large brown eyes lighting up with excitement. His little arms were wrapped around her neck, his messy blond hair mingling with hers.

"Yes," she replied, and shifted him in her embrace in order to reach for the key in her pocket. Pulling it out, she plunged it into the lock, the resulting click resounding through the empty hallway. Turning her head to look at him, she smiled. "Wanna close your eyes?"

He blinked. "Why?"

"I thought you liked surprises."

"Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed, promptly squeezing his eyes shut, excitement written clearly on his face.

Anna smiled. "Okay," she said, and with a light shove, pushed the door open. Once again adjusting her grip on the boy in her arms, she prompted him to open his eyes by pressing her cheek against his. "What do you think?"

The apartment was small, smaller than the one they had left back in the United States, but it was fitting—exactly what they needed. There were hardwood floors, and a light almond color on the walls. A large pile of cardboard boxes sat in the middle of the hallway, right behind the small, matching leather couch. A wooden coffee table sat in front of that, and against the wall, a television set.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, taking in the large, floor to ceiling windows that wrapped around the external wall of the apartment. "You can see everything from here!"

"Mhmm," she agreed, setting him down carefully. "Go explore," she encouraged, running a hand through his thick hair.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he stormed out of her sight, leaving her to shake her head at his eagerness.

Heaving a quiet sigh, she slowly made her way towards the table situated in a corner, near the door, the sound of her heels hitting the hardwood floors echoing in the empty apartment. The real estate agent had let her know that a letter had arrived for her the other day, so she picked up the envelope in question.

"Mom, we've got stairs, too!" Hana exclaimed.

Anna smiled. "Yes, we do," she agreed. She had known he would be particularly excited about that.

The paper made a crinkling sound as she ripped the envelope open and unfolded its contents, her eyes quickly scanning the writing. It was a letter from her company—it seemed like the apartment had become her official residence sooner than she had expected.

She would start work the following week. Until then, she had more than enough time to accommodate.

"This is so cool!" she heard Hana exclaim, before little footsteps thundered down the stairs, and he joined her in the hallway.

She turned her head to look at him.

"We've got so much room! We could get a dog!"

Setting the letter down, she approached him, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Hana, you _know_ we are not getting a dog."

Hana sighed. "Well," he said, "I had to try."

"Yes, I can see you are very perseverant."

"I thought that was a good thing."

"It is," she answered. "Now, have you seen our bags anywhere?"

"Yeah! They're right behind these boxes!"

"Good," she said, starting to walk in the pointed direction. "We need to unpack basic necessities. I suppose you won't get hungry again tonight."

"No."

"Okay, then." She pulled a large suitcase over and took a seat on the couch. "We need bedspreads. We also need your dog, so maybe you can remember in which box you put him."

Hana groaned. "Mom, they're all the same."

"Yes," she agreed. "But you're a smart child. I'll unpack everything else you may need while you search for him."

"Okay." He shuffled over to where to boxes lay, frowning as he studied them.

"Do you need help?" she questioned.

"I can't reach it!" he whined. He knew better than to attempt to grab it by himself. His mother went in hysterics whenever he tried to climb something other than stairs.

Anna rolled her eyes fondly as she stood up to tend to him. "That one?" she asked, reaching for the highest box.

"I think," he answered.

"I knew you'd find him," she said, handing the box to him. "We'll unpack everything else tomorrow. It will probably take us the entire day, but rather than spend the whole week doing this…"

Hana, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, the now opened box in his lap, looked up at her. "But I thought we would go explore the city!"

His mother turned to regard him with a soft look in her eyes. "You liked what you saw during the drive here, didn't you?"

"Yeah!"

"And if I promise we'll take a walk tomorrow evening? Is that okay?" she asked, wanting to please him.

Hana nodded, a grin she remembered all too well spreading on his features.

Anna swallowed an inexistent lump in her throat as she turned her attention back to the suitcase lying on the floor before her, clothes spilling out.

Could she really do this? Or had she simply been deluding herself?"

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Hana was fast asleep in his new bed, and Anna was free to do as she wished for the rest of the night.<p>

As the door to his room closed soundlessly behind her, she gave out a small, tired sigh, rolling her shoulders as she began to walk towards her own bedroom. Hana was not a naughty child—had never been that—but between the move, her new job, and the stress of what could come, she had drained herself of every last bit of energy. She could only hope that this week would be enough of a vacation for her to feel ready to start work. It had been a long time since she had last felt so tired. Probably back when Hana was born.

The years had gone by so quickly… It seemed like yesterday when she was holding her baby into her arms, marveling at how small and fragile he was, tears of sadness and happiness sliding down her face. But she wasn't complaining, because she had so many great memories. His first smile, his first steps, his first laugh; the first day of school, the first vacation together; the first morning he jumped on her bed to wake her up. She had been there to witness all of them, and for that, she was grateful.

The smile that had slowly spread on her face disappeared as another, completely different thought crossed her mind. She had been there, all right. But no one had stood by her side.

With a weary sigh, she moved across the carpeted floor of her room to stand in front of the large window. Her reflection stared back at her. She was dressed in a silky, dark-blue shirt that tied in the middle with a thin string, tight, black pants, and matching, high-heeled, strappy sandals. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back from her face with a stylish braid, and she was wearing make-up—little, but she was.

Time had changed her—there was no denying that. Being _a mother_ had changed her. And now that it was time to face up to the past… she had no idea where to begin or what to do with herself.

Resting her head against the cool glass, she closed her eyes.

Tokyo spread out below her, a mass of twinkling lights and nighttime activities.

Was he out there somewhere? She thought it was silly of her to ask herself that question. After all, she barely saw him when they were husband and wife and lived in the same house. What were the chances of bumping into him in a large metropolis such as Tokyo? She lived on the other end of the town—she had made sure of that. These were places that he would never frequent.

A tear trickled down her cheek, unnoticed.

A voice in her head screamed. Six years had passed. And perhaps… he had found a woman who had managed to make him settle down.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** You can find pictures of her make-up/hairstyle on my blog. There will also be a picture which inspired the description of their apartment there, so you can check it out in care you're interested in such things. Also, because of the problems ffn is currently experiencing, I'll post her outfit there. Once everything is solved, I'll put the link up._

_Review, please!_


	4. Three

_**A/N:** Hello, everybody! Thank you for your reviews! Here is another chapter! Albeit quite a short one_…

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><p>"Hana," she called as she descended down the stairs, the sound of her heels clicking against the hardwood floors alerting him of her approaching presence long before her voice did. When she arrived at the foot of the stairs, she saw him nestled on the couch, with one of her large, architecture books on his lap.<p>

She smiled. "What are you doing?" she questioned, amused, as she walked towards him.

He looked up at her with a sheepish grin on his face. "Looking at the pictures," he answered.

Anna laughed. "I imagined," she said. "Are you hungry?"

He nodded.

"How does take-out sound?" she suggested.

Hana grinned, throwing her a knowing look, and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up," she admonished, already moving to the kitchen area. "What would you like?" she asked as she picked up the phone with one hand, the other holding a colorful brochure.

She expected a firm, excited answer. What she received, however, was an uncertain voice calling out for her.

"Mom… Who is this?"

There was a frown on her features as she turned around to face him. "Hmm? What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

In response, Hana raised an old, rumpled photograph into the air, his brown eyes watching her with innocent curiosity.

Her eyes softened at the sight of him, and a quiet sigh escaped her lips as she slowly, almost hesitantly, started to make her way towards him. Taking a seat on the couch, she pulled the picture out of his grasp and moved the heavy book onto the table, beckoning him to approach her.

"Come here," she said, accommodating him on her lap. "I suppose you already realized that's me. And that man… that man is your father."

Anna had always known that hiding the truth from him was selfish, but she had also known that labeling him as different from the very beginning would hurt him even more. She resolved that she would tell him everything the moment he asked. So far, he had never once inquired about his father, and she would have been content with postponing this discussion until the day that he did.

It seemed like fate had other plans, though.

His brows furrowed. "I have a father?"

She kissed his temple affectionately. "Everybody has a father, silly."

"But I never saw him."

"I know you never did," she murmured softly in response.

She knew better than to believe he was upset. He was simply confused. She had never lied to him, but there were certain aspects of their lives that had never been treated, and because of that, he must find the way secrets were now coming up to light abrupt and calloused.

"You were his wife?" he inquired curiously, his small hand hovering over the photograph now held in her hands.

Anna swallowed back her tears. "Yes."

His frown deepened. "Did he die?"

"No, sweetie," she said, shaking her head.

"You fought," he guessed.

There was a moment of silence before she answered, "In a way, yes." Her arms tightened around him, and her chin came to rest on top of his head. "But that doesn't matter anymore. I don't want you to think that your father forgot about you, because he never knew you existed, in the first place. But now we're back here, back in Tokyo, back where he lives… and if you want, I can find him for you."

Yoh's reaction didn't matter. The only one who mattered was Hana. And she would rather have her heart stomped on a million times than have her child miss his father.

Hana, however, continued to frown. "Did he hurt you?"

"He did, but… I guess the most accurate way to put it is that… we both hurt each other. We just… didn't fit."

"So, why did you marry?"

"That's a longer story, sweetie," she answered evasively.

"Okay," he said, and before she could respond, he returned to his place on the couch, the large book back in his lap.

She watched him intently as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "You didn't answer my question," she reminded him softly.

Hana looked up from his book. "Do _you_ want to see him again?" he challenged.

She carefully avoided the answer. Hana was only six years old, but he was incredibly protective of her. Whether that was because he had picked up on the way she acted around him, or because he was aware of the fact that he only had her was a debatable issue.

"It doesn't matter what I want. He's not _my_ father."

"But if you don't want to see him again, how are you going to search for him? And how is he going to meet me?"

"Honey, those are details that we will figure out as we go," she soothed.

He contemplated the matter in silence for a mere five seconds, before he reached a conclusion. "I don't want to see him."

"Hana…" Unmistakable relief flooded her eyes upon hearing his answer, but it was mixed with doubt. Without realizing, sometime during the past month, she had already come to terms with the fact that she would see him again, that he would find out, and that his reaction might not be entirely positive.

The truth was, Hana never ceased to surprise her.

Swallowing, she tried again. "If you're worried about me, don't be. I've lived with this man for years. Maybe things didn't work out between us, but I'm sure you would love him. Hana, you are so much like him. You may not feel his absence now, but maybe in a few years, you will."

"I won't," he answered, stubbornly holding his ground.

With a sigh, she stood from her seat and kneeled down in front of him. "Sweetie," she whispered, brushing unruly strands of blond hair away from his face, "There are many children in this world who would give anything to have a father like yours. Don't throw this chance away, and don't do it to take care of me. _I_ am the mother. _I_ am supposed to take care of _you_."

Hana rolled his eyes, already annoyed. "I don't want to meet him, Mom."

"Alright," she consented, standing up. "But if you ever change your mind, all you have to do is tell me."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Happy Valentine's Day!_

_Don't forget to drop me a line or two! I'd love to hear your opinion on the way things are heading!_


	5. Four

_**A/N: **Apparently, school in Japan starts in April. So… here we go!_

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><p>"He is a very well-mannered child," the principal remarked as he sat across from the most beautiful blonde-haired woman he had ever seen and her young son.<p>

Anna smiled, brushing a rebel lock of hair away from Hana's forehead. The boy had climbed onto her lap the moment they had entered the office, but that hardly bothered her.

"I know," she said. "So, I trust there won't be any problems?"

"Of course not," the man answered with a smile of his own. "Hana is now officially enrolled in our school."

"Good. Then, we shall get going," she said, prompting Hana to allow her to stand up. He slid smoothly off her lap and took her offered hand. "You have my number. Should something happen—"

"That won't be the case, I assure you," he said.

Anna nodded. "I trust that it won't."

A good-bye later, and they were strolling through the empty corridors, heading towards the exit of the building.

"You know, it's cool how they try to rub up on you just because they see you dressed like you are and climbing out of a car like that," Hana remarked when he was finally unable to hold back anymore.

The blonde bit back a laugh. "You are very perceptive," she told him. "However, I do believe that they were telling the truth. About you being a well-mannered child, that is."

Hana rolled his eyes. "Riiight. I hate my teacher," he declared.

The warm, early-summer air washed over them as they opened the door and climbed down the steps at the entrance.

Anna frowned, amused, the fresh breeze that enveloped the city playing with her long hair. "Why?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't like her. I have a feeling she doesn't like me much, either."

The blonde laughed. "Well—"

"Kyoyama Anna?"

She turned around at the sound of her name, only to be met by a tall man. He had dark hair and striking blue eyes, which had widened almost imperceptibly at the sight of her—dressed in a tight, knee-length red dress and high-heeled, strappy black sandals, blonde hair spilling down her back in soft curls. He himself was wearing a formal business suit.

"Yes," she said. "That's me."

Hana looked up suspiciously from where he had stopped by her side.

"I am Sato Daisuke," the mysterious man introduced himself, holding out his hand.

"Oh," Anna said, realization dawning on her as she accepted the offer.

"I apologize if I seem intrusive, but I like to meet my employees before starting work with them. And since I was not present at the company today…"

"You ended up here," she concluded, nodding. "How?"

"My secretary let me in on the fact that you have a child," he admitted. "Which led me here."

"I see. Hana," she said, pushing him before her, "Say hi."

The child waved. "Hi!"

Anna rolled her eyes. Sometimes, she thought he did everything in his power to rile her up, simply because he thought it was amusing.

Daisuke smiled down at him. "Hi."

"Well, he needs to eat," she cut in, clearly unwilling to waste any of the time she could spend with her child, "So we need to go. It was nice to meet you."

"You, too, Ms. Kyoyama. I will see you at the office?"

"Of course," she replied, and offered him a small, polite smile, before steering Hana forwards, towards the car.

"Totally hitting on you," he muttered as he jumped into the vehicle.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," she answered fondly, before firmly closing the door behind him.

Walking round the car to reach the driver's side, she gracefully slipped in, taking the time to slide the key in the ignition before putting on her seatbelt.

"How was school?" she asked once she had pulled out of the parking lot and was speeding towards their new apartment.

"Boring," Hana answered.

One glance in the rearview mirror presented her with the image of him slouched down in his seat, hair tousled and lips pouting.

"Any new friends?" she prompted, hiding a smile at his lack of enthusiasm.

He gave a loud sigh. "Yeah."

Hana was a very open and very friendly child. Unlike his parents, he seemed to find no difficulty in separating the two worlds he involuntarily came to know, and was friends with basically everybody. Anna could already predict that he was going to be a heartthrob, that popular boy every girl would want. He was much like Yoh in that regard—charming, cheerful, good-natured.

Sometimes, it pained her to look at him. But then he would say something so incredibly logical, or solve a situation in such a calculating manner, that it made her chest swell with pride.

Because this was her child—and the best thing that had ever happened to her.

* * *

><p>"I got a dinner invitation for tonight," Anna stated one evening, almost a month later, as she leaned with her hands against the back of the couch.<p>

Hana scoffed from where he was seated, his attention focused on a video game. "Sure you did. From Daisuke."

She smirked, poking his side. "I thought you liked him."

"Yeah," he admitted, shrugging. "Technically. But he's really just trying to distract your attention from me."

His mother raised an amused eyebrow. "By paying attention to you."

"Yeah. Which makes you pay attention to how he pays attention to me. Therefore, to him."

Anna laughed. "In any case," she continued, "It's a business dinner. With a client. And I have to be there."

"You wouldn't have accepted it otherwise," he agreed.

"Yes." She nodded, and her eyes softened as she watched him. "Will you be alright on your own?"

"Yup," he answered.

"Are you sure?" she pressed. "If you want—"

"Mom," he groaned, "It's Friday. What could possibly happen?"

"It can happen that you want to watch a movie with me, and…" Leaning over the back of the couch, she grabbed his torso and started to tickle him.

Hana rolled over, laughing. "Mom!" he squealed, squirming away.

There was a grin on her face as she stopped and bent down to kiss his cheek. "I'll go get ready."

* * *

><p>Only the sound of her steps distracted him from his game enough for him to press pause. A plate of food was set before him on the coffee table, but his eyes followed a blonde curl up to the face of its owner as she straightened. His mouth nearly dropped open.<p>

His mother was beautiful all the time and no matter what she put on, but when she actually tried… that was a completely different story.

She was wearing a blue, satin dress, sleeveless and brushing her mid-thighs; her feet were clad in her black sandals. Her make-up was more prominent, her features more defined; her lips were pink, and her long, shiny hair was curled.

Hana was well-aware of the fact that his mother was gorgeous. He had seen enough women, and he knew how to make a difference. But sometimes, she amazed even him.

Placing her hands on her hips, she looked down at him with an amused glint in her honey-colored eyes.

Hana blinked. "You look pretty," he told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Hana, I would have brought you dinner in here, anyway."

He grinned, his head titled back as he looked up at her. "Because you love me?"

"Because I know you would have come back here with it after I left," she retorted.

Hana's grin grew even wider. "Well, you look pretty, anyway."

Anna indulged a small smile. "Thank you," she said, and then heaved a sigh. "I have to go. Be careful. Finish you dinner, don't open the door to anybody, and don't make a mess. You can watch TV, but don't stay up late. And no horror movies!" she reminded him.

Hana rolled his eyes.

"Remember that the only reason I'm leaving you alone is because I trust you—and you really want to keep that trust, alright?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Good. Love you," she said, bending down to kiss his forehead. "Bye, baby."

* * *

><p>Night had fallen when Anna stepped out of the restaurant that evening, her colleague by her side.<p>

"Why are you always running away?" he asked, out of the blue, as they slowly made their way in the direction where her car was parked.

Anna turned to look at him, confused and mildly curious. "I'm not running away." She sounded almost amused.

"You're _pulling_ away, then." He came to a stop, forcing her to do the same. Anna smoothed down her wind-blown hair as she gazed up at him. "You can't have not noticed that I feel for you."

She smiled, huffed an amused breath, and looked down for a moment. Then her head rose and her eyes met his again.

Somehow, she had been expecting this moment for an entire month.

"You are very subtle, I'll give you that. But I did notice. Hana did, too."

Daisuke smiled. "So… What is the problem?"

"The problem is… You are a great man. I know that. But I am not the woman for you."

"Who are you to decide that?" he teased.

She smiled, shaking her head.

"Look, I know you haven't been the happiest person in love," he started. "I can only guess. And I know that you feel nothing for me now. But I've met Hana, and you've seen how much I care about him. He needs a father."

"He _has_ a father," she replied, so confidently and resolutely that it almost deterred him.

"Then you need a man," he insisted.

"I don't need anyone."

He opened his mouth to speak at that, but she cut him off, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Look, I know what you're trying to tell me. I know how it feels like to have a man by your side. That feeling of protection can't quite compare to anything else. But I have learned to live without it." She shrugged her shoulders slowly. "And I think it's better that way."

"All I'm asking for is a chance." He took a step forward, in her direction, but kept his hands in his pockets.

Anna shook her head. "Daisuke, I am a mother. I have a child. And he is everything to me. You know that."

"Exactly! Do this for him—for the chance at a happy family."

"It's not that easy to put myself out there again, Daisuke. The way you're making it sound is great. But Hana and I have never needed anybody. Maybe in the future he will want a father… but then again, he _has_ him." She sighed, glancing down at her feet for a moment. "There is one thing that many people just don't seem to understand: I can't sacrifice myself for my child. I can't do things thinking about him only. We're a family—and it's just the two of us. I can't be unhappy, because I am all he has. And I am going to focus on him—on what he wants, not on what I think it's best for him. I trust his judgment."

Offering him a small smile, she parted with a soft-spoken 'goodnight'. The sound of her heels clicking on the pavement echoed in the almost deserted parking lot.

And as she walked the remaining distance to her car, she never once looked back.

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><p><em><strong>AN: **Normal life going on without Yoh. Sad, but had to be done, sorry. However… you got to know Hana a bit more!_

_And guess who will make an appearance in the next chapter?_

_Review, please! Encourage me to write faster! ;)_

_P.S. As usual, you can find outfits on Flickr and make-up on my blog. _


	6. Five

_**A/N:** Yay, quick update! It's really easy at times for me to write this story... even relaxing, I'd say! Haha, enjoy!_

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><p>Asakura Yoh had taken a wrong turn. Instead of turning right on the exit on the highway, he turned left—leaving him with an entire metropolis to cross in order to arrive home.<p>

In retrospect, his entire life could be described as a series of wrong turns, so perhaps he should be used to it by now.

At least traffic was not as terrible at this hour of the day as it usually was. Of all the cities he had traveled to, Tokyo seemed to be the worst in that aspect. Or maybe it was just him and his desire to get from one end of the city to the other without really looking around and having the chance to see much.

It was ridiculous how many memories he had in this part of the world—and how the majority of them were centered on a certain blonde-haired woman.

He missed her. He missed her so much it was crazy. Every time he closed his eyes, she was there. It was even more terrible when he was in town. And the worst part of it all was that he could hardly remember when it was that their relationship suffered so much damage, what the last straw was—the word that made her put an end to everything they stood for.

They were fighting more than usual, he knew. She was resentful because he was always gone. He screamed that it was her who'd pushed him to become Shaman King. She yelled that everything she had done, she had done it for him. He, of course, knew she was right. That didn't mean he'd admit it so openly.

Lately, things were always like that. She would scream, and he would yell. He would say 'no', and she would push. She would slam a door, and he would jump on the first plane that left the country.

When they reunited, their tempers cooled down, the anger dissipated from their system, the tension remained, but they would never, ever talk about it. That was probably their worst mistake—not talking. It could have saved their marriage, their relationship. Or at least, it would have helped him remember why it had fallen apart, in the first place.

He knew he had hurt her. With Anna, this type of things had never been easy to notice, but nothing gave her away more than the way her hand had shaken when she signed the divorce papers, or the tears in her eyes when she handed him back the earrings he had given them on their only happy anniversary, so many years ago.

He had never heard from her again, and had it not been for the fact that his own heart had shattered at the sight of her walking out that door, he would have probably had the strength to run after her and beg her to come back. But he had been too blind at that time, too eager to put an end to the fights, the stress, the continuous emotional struggle; his feelings conflicted, he had made the worst mistake of his life—he had let her leave.

_Then why didn't you look for her?_ a voice in his head mocked. _Why didn't you search the Earth to find her? You should have gone crawling to her doorstep and apologized, because all this was your fault, in the first place._

Those thoughts plagued his mind constantly, making up all of his nightmares.

She must be happy now. That was his explanation. That was the reason why he had not run after her. He could have found her. He could have apologized. But he had chosen not to, because the last thing he wanted—the last thing he had ever wanted—was to make her suffer.

He had been horrible to her, he knew. Never letting her speak, always yelling at her, always blaming her, even when he didn't say it outright, for everything that was happening.

She had always been the dominant personality in their relationship, always the one who searched for a reason to fight with him, to rile him up, to make him angry. He had always been the one who nodded in agreement, and apologized even when she was at fault.

He had never quite realized when their roles reversed.

And for that, he would never forgive himself.

* * *

><p>Hana tried hard to hold back his grin when he saw the familiar little red car pull up in front of the school. He looked down to hide the inevitable, upward tilt to his lips, swinging his legs back and forth on the bench he was currently sitting on.<p>

"Hana," his mother greeted, bending down to kiss his cheek as she cupped his face within her hands. "Sorry for being late. I—"

"Sorry? Is that all you can say to me?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

She shot him a bland look. "You know, that would have worked better if you weren't trying to hold back laughter—and failing. Just saying."

Hana laughed, grinning up at her. "Fine," he gave in, hopping off the bench and taking her hand. "What took you so long, anyway?"

"I was detained at work. Complications—stuff you don't care about," she explained as they started to make their way towards the car.

True to the conclusion she had reached, the boy couldn't be less interested. "Can I watch a movie?"

Anna rolled her eyes as she opened the door for him. "Of course you can watch a movie after you do your homework." She smiled meaningfully at him and heard his groan as she shut the door behind him.

Hana was an excellent student—incredibly smart and ambitious; but he was also incredibly lazy. She couldn't count the number of times his teachers had complained that he had fallen asleep during classes. She had learned not to bother him about that, though. She knew from experience that it was a disease with no cure, and to be honest, she couldn't care less if the teacher became annoyed and burst an aneurysm.

As long as Hana learned what he needed to learn, how he did it didn't matter.

As long as Hana was happy, nothing else did.

* * *

><p>Yoh heaved a sigh as he came to a stop in front of a traffic light; leaning back in his seat, he raised his hand to rub his tired eyes. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he'd last gotten a decent wink of sleep. He wondered why he had chosen to come home, of all the places, if that was the case, because he certainly wouldn't be resting here. The house was full of memories of her and nestling his head into her pillow wouldn't help him with his cause. And if he did manage to fall asleep, then he would dream of her—and the morning would be daunting.<p>

But he couldn't stop himself. He needed to be here. He came here at least once a month, because he _needed_ this. As painful as it was, this place was the only connection he had with her.

Opening his eyes, he ran a hand over his forehead, pushing his messy hair back. He glanced up at the traffic light, which was still red.

People continued to cross the street—couples and lovers and children. He cracked a small smile as he watched a young teenager—perhaps ten or eleven years old—running to make it to the other side before the light changed. He used to be like that, he remembered. They used to be like that. Young, happy, without a care in the world. Perhaps with a bigger burden to carry than other children their age, but that had never truly bothered him, because they had each other.

It was around that age that he met her. He fell in love with her. And he started to build his future around her. He had wanted to see her face beside him every time he woke up in the morning. He had wanted a family with her. He had never imagined all of those things would remain simply dreams.

Heaving yet another sigh, he set his hand back on the steering wheel and tried to force his mind to focus on getting him home safely. Sleep deprivation and thoughts of her were not a good combination, he knew that from experience.

It was because of that that when he saw the first flash of blonde hair, he thought he was dreaming. His head snapped up, his eyes searching the scenery relentlessly despite the fact that everything in him told him to stop. They found what they were looking for on the side of the road, across the intersection. A blonde-haired woman wearing a tight blue dress and black high-heels walked around a car to slip in through the driver's side. The shade of honey hair was so much like hers that his hands twitched on the steering wheel, and his mouth opened to speak—but no sound came out.

Suddenly, a torrent of horns began to blare from behind him, snapping him back to reality. The light had turned green. Hands shaking, he pressed the accelerator and crossed the intersection, only to come to a stop in the same parking space the mysterious red car had left.

His hand was reaching for his phone on the passenger's seat before his mind could even register what he was doing; long before it even realized, his heart had reached a conclusion.

He would search for her. He would use all of his relations to find her. If there was a Kyoyama Anna in Tokyo at that moment, he was going to know.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Thank you to everybody who reviewed! Your support means the world to me!_

_So, maybe you should keep giving it to me, huh? _

_Much love! :)_


	7. Six

_**A/N:** It's been a pretty busy week, but since I already had half of this written, I figured I should make time to finish and post it. Thank you all for your support! Enjoy!_

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><p>On Monday, Yoh received a phone-call. It took him three days to gather his courage and seek out the address he had been given, but there he was, standing on her doorstep.<p>

There were no words to describe the turmoil inside of him when he heard that yes, she was there, that she had been so close to him for God knew how long. It was a mixture that had surprised him as much as the news itself, that had nearly torn him apart for the nights to come.

But he had survived this, survived everything just to see her again. From what he had heard, she was not married, nor was she living with another man. His connection had asked whether he wanted to dig deeper in her life, but that was all Yoh had needed to know—that she was alone, that the possibility for him to apologize was still standing.

He steeled himself with a deep breath before he knocked, head down, forearms resting on either side of the doorway. He didn't know what to expect, so he resumed at clearing his mind and hoping for the best.

Heels clicked on the floor on the other side of the door, and his heart started beating faster.

Then the door opened, and it stopped beating altogether. His breath caught in his throat, and every cell in his body stopped functioning.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. She was dressed simply, in a pair of black pants and a loose-fitted brown top, with strappy shoes on her feet. Her skin was flawless, with only a hint of sun-kissed color, and she was wearing make-up—enough to bring out the color of her eyes and to add a red tint to her full lips. Her hair was blonde—full, shiny, and curling at its ends.

She had frozen at the sight of him. Her eyes were wide—wide with shock, with confusion, and to his surprise, fright—and if she was breathing, he couldn't tell.

"Anna…"

Her name was a mere whisper between them.

In a daze almost, his hand reached out towards her. He needed to touch her, to feel her, to make sure she was real—not just another torturous dream. But she flinched and stepped back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

He opened his mouth to speak, but someone else beat him to that.

"Mom!" a young voice, the voice of a child rang down the hallway.

Yoh's eyes widened. It was his turn to step back as though he had been slapped.

Anna simply closed her eyes. "Sweetheart, not right now," she answered in a breathy, raspy voice.

Yoh looked at her in shock. "Mom?" he echoed incredulously.

The breath seemed to leave her completely then.

Leaving the door open, she turned around and took a few steps forward, only to stop when Yoh grabbed her arm and forced her to face him in a brusque movement. Her hair whipped around her face as she turned, her eyes wide with fright as she looked up at him.

"What—"

"Mom!" the voice called again, while little footsteps thundered down the stairs.

"Go back to bed!" she yelled back, the tinge of desperation in her voice resounding clearly in the tense atmosphere. "I'm serious!"

"But I'm hungry!" he complained.

"I'll be right there!" she snapped.

There was silence after her statement. The reality that Yoh had been trying to avoid was now becoming clearer by the second.

Hesitantly, her gaze rose to meet his.

"Anna, don't tell me…"

She trembled in his hold, and attempted to back away, but she had barely managed to take a few steps back before he grabbed her forearms and once again pulled her back to him.

"Speak to me," he commanded.

In response, she avoided his gaze and remained quiet. But in the end, her silence was as good of an answer as any.

Reality came crashing down on him before he had the chance to take in another breath. He immediately let go of her, and she stumbled back, swallowing heavily.

There was an unusual feeling of fear churning in her stomach as she watched him carefully, as though expecting him to snap at any time.

"No, no…" he said, huffing an amused, yet at the same time incredulous, breath. His eyes rose to meet hers, and there was a smile—a sad, hopeful smile—on his lips. "I got this wrong. You wouldn't do this to me. You aren't _capable_ of that."

"Yes, I did," she said. How in the world she managed the strength to keep her voice steady was beyond her. "And I am."

For a moment, he was distracted by the sound of her voice.

But then he wasn't. "Are you trying to tell me that—"

"Yes."

The shock numbed his movements as he slowly turned around to look upstairs. In a second, Anna was in front of him, standing protectively between him and the staircase.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"I didn't want anything to do with you, and you didn't want anything to do with me. That's why I shut up. Our marriage was messed up—and over. And I wasn't going to throw a child in that environment." It was a speech she had repeated all too many times.

"Because of you, I've lost six years of my child's life, Anna!"

"I know that. Trust me, I do. I—"

"Were you _never_ going to tell me?"

"I _was_ going to tell you!" she snapped. "I'm not the selfish bitch you think I am. But this wasn't just about the two of us anymore. It was about Hana. I never hid anything from him. I never spoke badly of you, like you probably think I did. When we got here, I asked him… I asked him if he wanted to meet you—because it was _him_ who mattered. His answer was 'no'. And that is _not_ my fault."

Yoh scoffed. "Of course it was a 'no'! I'm a stranger to him!"

"Well, change that!"

He reeled back, surprised at how accepting she was being towards this entire situation. It was as though she had been waiting—_yearning_—for this to happen; as though it was what she had always wanted, but never knew how to make it reality.

"How?" he whispered.

"Be with him," she answered, gazing deep into his eyes. "You're his father. Spend time with him, get to know him…"

Their voices lowered as the argument died down. All that was left now were two broken people, staring at each other, begging each other with their eyes to understand, to forgive—to do the right thing this time.

Yoh shook his head. "You're just as confusing as always."

"Hana may not _need_ you, but he deserves to have a father figure in his life. I can't offer him that. And for God's sake, I'm not going to keep you away from your own child! It's not like you raped me! With you… I spent the most beautiful moments with you. Hana is… he is the proof that we once lo—_cared about_ each other." She shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I don't want you to stay away from him."

He looked at her incredulously, as though he was unable to believe what he was hearing, unable to grasp what she was telling him, unable to absorb the information he had been presented with. She had always known this would end up badly, that she would ruin what was left of them—the reminiscence of a quiet love—by doing this. But standing in front of him now, unable to tell what he was thinking, what he was feeling, what he probably considered her to be, was more painful and disconcerting than anything she could have ever imagined.

Her eyes softening, she took a step forward and reached out for him. "Yoh, I—" She tried to touch him, but he jerked away.

"Stop," he commanded, putting his hands up. "Just—don't say anything. You've done enough."

He turned around then and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

Anna swallowed. A shuddering breath left her lips, and every muscle in her body seemed to fail her as she sunk down on the back of the couch, suddenly lightheaded.

It took everything of her to push back her tears and control her meltdown, but she managed.

Because Hana was upstairs, waiting for an explanation.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** You know the drill. You have images at your disposal, haha! _

_Review, please!_


	8. Seven

_**A/N:** First of all, thank you all for your support! You guys rock! _

_(For those who are following _Incomplete_, it will be updated soon. Very soon.)_

_And second, enjoy!_

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><p>The following morning was gloomy—matching the mood in their house. The sky was covered with clouds that promised rain; the wind had picked up overnight, and the temperatures had dropped enough to force people into long-sleeved blouses and cardigans.<p>

Hana observed his mother carefully from where he sat in the backseat of the car. She was perfectly put together, like she usually was, but Hana knew her—he knew how to recognize the tension in her body. She was still distraught, and he had noticed that from the very first moment he saw her that day.

"Mom?" he ventured when they were a few blocks away from his school. Curiosity—and not only that, but also worry—would not allow him to let her leave without another conversation.

"Hmm?" she acknowledged, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror for a brief moment, before looking back at the road ahead.

"What was that last night?" he asked.

Anna sighed. "I already told you, sweetie."

"You had a fight," he said, slowly, as though wanting to make sure he understood, "With my dad."

His mother swallowed heavily before she answered him. "Yes."

He remained silent for a moment, before he spoke again, "Mom?" He waited until she had glanced at him once again before he continued, "He's not gonna separate us, right?"

"What?" she asked, shocked. "Sweetie, of course not. Where did you get that idea from?"

"He can do that," he said, confident.

"No!" Anna parked in front of the school in one swift maneuver, before she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face him. "Hana, you're watching too many movies again. Nothing—and no one—is taking you away from me."

There was a quiet desperation in her eyes, mixed with fierce protectiveness, but the confidence there made him believe her. Because when his mother made a promise, she respected it. And he knew then—she would do _anything_ to keep him by her side.

"Come on," she murmured with a soft sigh, turning around to get out of the car.

Hana waited until she opened the door for him to jump out. He didn't miss the few extra seconds it took her to reach his side, seconds she must have spent on getting her bearings. This was affecting her more than she let on, he could see that clearly.

"Okay," she sighed as she crouched down in front of him, holding onto his hands. "I will be here—Is that your teacher?" She frowned at something behind him.

Hana turned briefly, before facing her again. "Yeah," he said.

"She looks bad today."

"She _always_ looks bad."

Anna rolled her eyes. "She looks sick."

"She _is_ sick."

She laughed lightly. "How about you lie low today? Not bother her too much?"

"Too much," he agreed.

She smiled, tapping his nose with the tip of her finger. "Alright. Be careful. Be nice. Pay attention to your classes. And I'll be here when you finish. Okay?" Hana nodded, and closed his eyes when she reached up to brush a lock of blond hair away from his face. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."

"You always do," he answered, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Anna's smile grew wider. "Go," she said, kissing his forehead. "Love you."

He never answered, and she watched him leave with a soft look in her eyes. Hana became upset every time she declined his involvement in a problem, even when he knew there was nothing he could do to help. He felt patronized, he had claimed once, and although Anna knew Hana was capable of understanding most things children his age couldn't, she refused to let him become involved, no matter the nature of the issue. He was her child and she was his mother; her duty was to protect him, not to allow him to shoulder the burdens they encountered together.

"Hey," a familiar voice said, bringing her back from her thoughts.

She looked up. "Hey," she greeted back. Her smile was long gone as she stood up, smoothing down the creases in her skirt. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured I would find you here." He sighed, burying his hands into his pockets, as his eyes pierced through her. "We need to talk."

* * *

><p>It was almost incredible how much she had changed, yet at the same time, remained the same. She was gorgeous, even more so than the last time he had seen her—something he had deemed impossible in the hours to come. But she was cold, and seemed a million miles away.<p>

During the entire walk to the coffee shop, her eyes had met his _once_. She refused to look at him when she spoke, and although that was something he had grown used to in the last period of their marriage, her attitude unnerved him now.

As much as he felt that he needed to tell her, eventually it was her who broke the silence.

"Pick him up from school tomorrow," she said, her gaze finally rising to meet his across the table as her hand played almost nervously with the straw of her drink.

Yoh blinked. For a moment, he was unable to understand what she was trying to tell him. "Pick him up…?" He blinked, sitting up straighter. "What?"

She looked _almost_ annoyed—as though she _wanted_ to be annoyed, but didn't have the necessary strength. "What part did you not understand?"

"You're not going to be there?"

"No," she answered firmly, looking down at the drink cooling in her hands. "I don't want my presence to sway him in any way."

"And you think leaving him alone with a _stranger_ will be better?" he demanded in a harsh whisper, leaning towards her.

Her eyes met his. "You're not a stranger. You're his father."

"Yeah," he scoffed. "Exactly."

"Look, I know Hana. And I know that, if I'm there, his focus won't be on you. He'll constantly be looking at me for directions, for approval, constantly checking how I feel, how I look. The expression on my face, the look in my eyes, every word that comes out of my mouth—that's what he'll analyze later on. And that's how he'll come to conclusions. And I don't want that. I want him to know you."

"And your relationship with his father? Doesn't that matter?"

She shrugged, leaning back in her seat. "No. We're on talking terms, and that's that. What Hana needs from you is a father. I—I don't need anything from you, Yoh. Not anymore."

"Why not?" he challenged in a rare act of defiance.

She sighed, and stood up. Her tone was resigned when she spoke her last words.

"Because when I did, you weren't willing to give anything to me."

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Please review!_


	9. Eight

_**A/N:** Quick update, yay! I was a bit apprehensive about writing this particular chapter, but it turned out alright on the first try, haha!_

_Thank you to everybody who reviewed! It means the world to me!_

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><p>True to her word, his mother was nowhere to be seen that afternoon, when he exited the school building.<p>

But there _was_ someone waiting for him—someone he could recognize in a heartbeat despite having never seen even once in real life.

If there was something in this world that Hana hated more than he hated seeing his mother upset, that was being left in the dark for the sake of his safety. Because how could one be safe when they didn't know what the danger was and where it could come from? Too bad his mother didn't understand that, and was under the false impression that she could protect him from everything. Hana knew she tried, and he appreciated that. She had, after all, done a perfect job until now. But there were aspects he could help her with, matters he could understand. He was still a child, but that didn't mean he didn't own a brain.

Heaving a sigh, he approached the stranger with slow, yet precise steps. When he reached him, the brunet crouched down in front of him, brown eyes that were so much like his own studying him carefully, with a mixture of fondness, pride, incredulousness and wariness swirling inside of them.

He knew this man, and he didn't know him from a picture. No, he knew him because his heart told him so. Unfortunately, that was the only thing he could rely on at the moment.

But Hana didn't like relying on his heart in such situations, because that made him vulnerable, so he turned to his mind, and blurted out the only words he knew he could be sure of.

"Hey, Dad."

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><p>The resemblance was staggering.<p>

Yoh had only seen his son once before, and that had been from afar. But sitting here now, across from him, he couldn't help but wonder if it had ever been possible for him to walk past him on the street one day and not notice him, not realize, despite the fact that he hadn't known of his existence until merely three days ago.

He had Anna's golden hair and his brown orbs, but the strands stuck up like his own, and his eyes studied everything with an analytical power he himself had never mastered. The grin was his, without a doubt; perhaps the laugh, as well. His energy, his happiness, his affinity for ice-cream and all things sweet. But everything else, from what he could tell, was Anna's. Her way of thinking, her way of drawing conclusions, her way of speaking—even her mannerisms. The stubbornness was something he had inherited from the both of them, but the way he used it in his favor? Like his mother.

And perhaps that was partially the result of her influence over him, since she had been the only parent he had ever known, but the fact remained: he saw her in him as much as she had probably seen him. And his question was… how had she dealt with this for so long?

"Look," he started, heaving a sigh, "I know what your mother must have told you about me—"

"Nah," he interrupted him, shaking his head. "Actually, she didn't tell me anything about you."

Yoh frowned.

"I mean, I did come across that picture of you two a few weeks ago, and she said she could find you for me if I wanted—I know she already told you this, she kind of screamed it at you back at the apartment—but I said no."

"Why?" he asked.

Hana shrugged, licking his spoon clean. "'Cause she seemed really… I don't know—guarded, I guess. And I didn't _know_ you, and I kind of felt like I didn't _need_ you, either, so I thought I shouldn't put her in a situation where she could get hurt when there's always the possibility of me not even liking you at all, you know?"

It took him a moment to follow the course of his thoughts. "That's nice," he eventually noted.

Hana looked up at him suspiciously. "Sarcasm?" he tried.

Yoh smiled. "No. I meant—that you think of your mother first."

"I have to," he said, swinging his legs back and forth on his seat. "No one else does. And she does the same for me."

That, in itself, was what he had been unconsciously most afraid of ever since he found out the truth. That the relationship between mother and son would be too perfect, too well-balanced to let him in. That he would never gain a place in their life without ruining something. Because Yoh had _seen_ the way Anna talked about their son, the spark in her eyes, the lightness in her posture. He had seen the protective way she spoke of him. He had seen them interact. And truly, there was nothing missing from their life.

But looking at his child now, he knew he would try. He would try to become close to him, no matter the outcome. And if Hana ended up accepting him as his father, then he would behave as such. If not, then he would leave. He had already watched everything that had ever mattered to him leave his life once, so he would be alright; he knew what needed to be done in order for them to be happy.

But he would try. Because this—_him_—was worth it.

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><p>Hana made a dash for his mother as soon as they exited the building.<p>

The blonde pushed off the car to receive his embrace, and she smiled down at him as he wrapped his little arms around her waist, brushing his hair away from his forehead in a gentle gesture.

She was beautiful. That was the first thought that crossed his mind when he caught sight of her. She was dressed casually, far from the businesswoman he had seen the day before. She was wearing a pair of black pants, a loose, white top, and a simple, beige cardigan. Her feet were clad in strappy sandals, and her long hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail.

And she was looking down at Hana with such tenderness in her eyes, that it made his heart beat faster.

She spared a single glance at him. Their eyes locked, for a mere second, and it was as though every shield in the world rose to protect her once more.

Hana tugged on her shirt to gain her attention, and the moment she gazed down again, her lips stretched into a smile.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Yoh hung his head and left without ever looking back.

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><p>Anna watched with mild amusement and fondness as Hana ran towards her, almost knocking her off-balance when he wrapped his arms around her waist.<p>

Running her hands through his thick, blond hair, she smiled down at him.

"How was it?" she asked softly.

"He's cool," he answered simply, his eyes serious and sincere.

"Yeah?" she prodded.

"Mhmm."

She took a moment to gather her courage before she looked up, and there he was, watching them, an odd mixture of longing, tenderness, and pain mixing in his brown eyes.

She had to look away immediately, not because her son demanded her attention, but because her heart felt as though it was about to burst.

"He said he wants to see me… on Saturday, I think," he announced. "And he said to call him to tell him if I can."

Anna nodded, steering him gently towards the car. "If you want to," she answered as she opened the door for him and ushered him inside.

"I want to."

She almost froze in the action of slipping inside the vehicle, but she managed to catch herself in time. This was making him happy, she reminded herself. And she would do anything for Hana to be happy.

"Good," she whispered, and turned the key into ignition.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Pictures on my Flickr account, as usual._

_Review, please!_


	10. Nine

_**A/N:** Time for some mother-and-son fluff! Yay! _

_Enjoy!_

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><p>Hana had just climbed onto his bed when his mother made her appearance in his room that night.<p>

"Ready for sleep?" she inquired in a soft voice, bending down to pick up the shirt he had thrown carelessly on the floor.

Hana frowned. She had not complained and she had not rebuffed him—but his mother _hated_ cleaning up after him.

"Are you mad at me?" he ventured, unsure.

"No," she answered as she draped the piece of clothing over the back of his chair; there was a frown on her face as she turned to face him. "Why would I be?"

His answer was simple. "Because I met up with Dad."

"Hana," she started as she made her way towards him. "I was the one who wanted you to meet him, remember?" Sitting down beside him, she encouraged him to slip underneath the covers, tucking him in once he complied.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"You heard us fighting," she deduced. "I agree, that wasn't the best start your relationship with him could have had. But it's only natural that he got mad when he found out that I kept you a secret."

Unsure of how to answer to that, Hana extended his arms towards her in a silent gesture. Anna understood, smiling a small smile as she shifted so that her back was to the headboard, welcoming him in her arms. Immediately, he snuggled up beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head over her stomach.

"I still love you more," he murmured.

"Don't say that," she chided softly, running her fingers through his hair. "He deserves to be loved just as much as I do. And once you get to know him, you'll realize that."

"You speak nice of him," he remarked. "As if you knew he was a good person."

"He _is_ a good person."

"Then why did you break up?" he demanded. "Why don't you get along now?"

Anna's brows furrowed as the interrogatory continued. "We do get along," she answered.

Hana rolled his eyes. "You didn't even come to talk to him, Mom."

"I talked to him yesterday, after I dropped you off at school."

"Did you?"

"Yes."

"But then why didn't you at least say hello today?" he pressed.

"Because—" She paused abruptly, shaking her head. "Because maybe it's exactly because of that that we do get along. Because we don't talk—not even greet."

Hana frowned, looking up at her for the first time since they started the conversation. "How does that even work?"

"You don't have to understand this now," she said. "You're too young. Maybe life will teach you this lesson, maybe it won't. But sometime in the future, you'll understand what I'm saying and why."

It didn't take him long to catch on, and his eyes burned with stubbornness and determination as they pierced right through her. "It's because you fight, isn't it? Because every time you talk, you end up fighting."

Anna swallowed. "Yes." Her answer was a whisper.

"Why?" he demanded, sitting up. "Why can't you just say nice things to one another?"

"Because sometimes even nice things hurt," she snapped.

Hana reeled back with the force of her words, and she sighed, taking a deep breath in order to calm down.

"Look, Hana… Please don't do this to me," she begged. "Don't start asking me why. Don't start wishing that your father and I got back together. I know it's hard for you to understand. I know you want what every other child has—a family. But you'll have to learn to conform to the fact that you have me, and you have him, and we're two different persons that have nothing to do with one another. Be grateful that you _have_ us."

His entire resolve melted at the sight of the tears that shone brightly in her eyes. "I am," he promised, his little arms coming to wrap tightly against her waist as he buried his face back into her stomach. "I'm not trying to make you go back to him. I just wanted to know why… I don't understand what's going on."

"Stop thinking about what's going on and start enjoying his presence in your life," she advised. "Alright?"

He nodded.

"Is that a promise?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now go to sleep," she whispered as she slipped out of his embrace, bending down to kiss his forehead after he had accommodated himself on the pillow. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She managed to keep herself together until she exited his darkened room. The moment the door closed behind her, however, she could no longer avoid reality crushing her. She closed her eyes, and leaned back against the wooden surface, a shuddering breath leaving her lips as she forced her body to relax.

How was she supposed to do this? How had she assumed that she would?

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Review, please!_


	11. Ten

_**A/N:** Sorry about the long wait… I was working on Pieces of Me, then something interfered, then I worked on Pieces of Me some more, then I decided I should finish the chapter and post it and only then begin to work on this one. My life can get pretty crazy at times. I blame that on my brain. You should, too. Haha!_

_Anyway, thank you to all of you who reviewed! You make me smile! :)_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>She stared at the phone in her hands, the numbers on the touch-screen jumbling together before her eyes.<p>

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Droplets of water slid down the large, floor-to-ceiling window she was facing, overlooking dark streets and wind-swept trees. The door to her office was open, muted sounds of people buzzing with activity seeping inside the four walls. It was late morning, and Anna was at work.

She thought it could hardly be said so, though, because all she had been doing since she came in was spare furtive glances at the telephone or spend minutes with it in her hands, tapping numbers and hovering over the call button, only to back away and delete them after traitorous second thoughts.

Quite frankly, she believed she was being ridiculous – childish, even – so the next time her fingers touched the keyboard, she didn't let them stop halfway.

The phone rang – once, twice, thrice – until the call connected, and a familiar voice greeted her.

_"Hello?"_

Taking a deep breath, she tried to reign in her emotions and to calm her erratically beating heart.

"You know, it's a bit arrogant of you to assume that I still remember you phone-number," she said.

There was a moment of silence from the other end. _"Which you do,"_ the answer eventually came.

"Not exactly," she denied. "I do have a good job, though."

_"I see. Well, maybe I assumed that you have a good job."_

Anna raised an eyebrow. "What was your first clue?"

_"Your car,"_ he answered simply.

"I see. Well, Hana wants to meet with you on Saturday. So, you can pick a place and I'll drop him off. Let me know."

She was left to wonder, as she clutched her phone in her hands, whether the reason why she had ended the conversation before he could say something else was because she wanted to hear his voice again.

Heaving a sigh, she allowed the tension to leave her body as she leaned back in her seat, hands massaging her temples. The entire situation was hectic, without norms or regulations, and it was putting a tremendous strain on her. Seeing Yoh again had not done her any good. Of course, she hadn't assumed it would, but she had expected to be more detached. She had expected not to feel her heart breaking into a million pieces—and not because she should be over him by now, but because she knew this was doing good to her child.

"Are you alright?"

Her head snapped up at the unexpected voice, and she turned around to face its possessor, slightly surprised upon being met by blue eyes and worried features.

"Daisuke," she acknowledged. "I didn't see you there."

He nodded, walking further into the room. He seemed to be debating something for a moment, before he spoke.

"I apologize, but… was that him? I heard without wanting, and… and a million scenarios formed inside my head."

Daisuke and Anna had spoken about 'him' a couple of times over the duration of their still rather short collaboration, mainly due to his insistence to become involved in her personal life. The blonde indulged him that, up to a certain point, not because she enjoyed his attention, but because she wasn't bothered by it. She had learned to let people in, and as long as their relationship remained professional and he was not crossing any of the lines she had drawn, she didn't mind sharing a few words with him every once in a while.

She didn't care to lie to him, either. "Yes, that was him."

"Do you…" He stopped, resting his hands over the back of one of the chairs available in front of her desk. "Do you need me to find you a lawyer?"

Anna raised her eyebrows. "A lawyer? What for?"

"I don't suppose he took the news well. He couldn't have _not_ been upset about the fact that you kept the existence of his child a secret."

She nodded once, encouraging him to continue.

"He will try to take Hana away from you."

Anna shook her head. "No," she said, with even more confidence than him.

"The need for revenge is something that characterizes the human race. He may seem complacent now, but I think it's better for you to lay down some terms in writing."

"Daisuke, Yoh isn't like that. He knows how much Hana means to me. He would never do something like that."

"You sound sure," he remarked.

"I _am_ sure," she responded, mildly irritated now.

"Well, then if he's such a good person, why did you leave him?"

"That is _not_ your problem!" she snapped, scandalized. "And you know what? I find it very low of you to try to drag another man in the dirt because it suits your needs."

Daisuke frowned. "I am not—"

"I know perfectly well what you're doing!"

"Anna, it's just—" He stopped himself, throwing his hands in the air in a gesture of frustration. "It's incredible how much trust you still have in him."

"Our situation is… different," she said, eager to end the conversation. "Okay? It's messed up. It's… difficult to explain what happened, and—and in all honesty, what's _still_ happening. I warned you from the very beginning: stay away from this subject, Daisuke. That would be best for you."

The message was clear. And as she looked straight into his eyes, he could tell that she meant every word she had said.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** The next chapter should be out a lot faster._

_Review, please!_


	12. Eleven

_**A/N:** Quick update, as I promised! _

_Happy (early) Easter!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>There were no words to describe his surprise when Anna climbed out of the car that morning and approached him. Steering Hana towards the nearly deserted beach with a hand over his back and a quiet command, she continued on her way towards him.<p>

Although almost numb with confusion, he took her lead and began to follow her once she had reached his side.

For a long moment, she was silent. Looking straight ahead, she seemed to be debating something.

"I'm sorry," she eventually said, halting her movements as she came to stand in front of him. The wind whipped over her face and played with her hair, forcing her to tuck blonde locks behind her ears in an effort to tame the wild strands.

Yoh raised his eyebrows. "Are you?"

"Yes," she answered firmly, confidently. "For not granting you the right to see Hana grow. Am I sorry for what I've done? For keeping away when I should have come back? Not entirely. Because—my actions were logical back then. And, quite honestly, they still are. Maybe I was selfish—or maybe I sure was—but… but I didn't want to come back. I didn't want to suddenly find myself back in that house, back with you, after I'd forced myself—after I'd gathered every bit of courage I had—to leave you. I couldn't stand to be one more moment by your side."

He nodded slowly, and looked down at his feet, allowing the information to sink in before he reached a conclusion. "Do you hate me?" he asked, resigned, yet at the same time, hopeful.

"No," she answered, shaking her head.

The relieved breath he exhaled went unnoticed.

"I could never hate you. But I didn't want anything to do with you anymore."

"I see."

"We weren't ready to have a child, Yoh. No matter how many movies you've seen where it says a baby solves everything. For Hana to grow in the environment that existed in that house…"

"You weren't ready to have a child, either, Anna," he interrupted her, gazing down at her with a piercing look.

There was a silent confidence in her eyes when she answered, "That changed when I held him in my arms for the first time."

Yoh heaved a sigh, running a hand through his messy hair and shaking his head as he admitted, "I don't know what you expect from me now, Anna."

"Nothing. But Hana… he might have some expectations, and if you could meet them, I would be very grateful."

"Hana is my son. And he bears no fault in this whole… situation. You don't, either—at least not entirely." He paused, taking a deep breath. "You made your decision based on what had happened between us, and I… as much as I want to, I can't blame you for making the choice you've made."

"Tossing the blame around won't help. Neither will dividing it, nor will trying to find explanations for things that happened so much time ago. What I said… a few days ago, about how I wanted nothing to do with you… That was stupid. You are the father of my child, and I… There is something binding us, as much as I'd like it not to."

"And we have to get along," he agreed with a nod.

"We do. Regardless, I'm leaving," she announced, already taking a step away. "Don't retain Hana too much. We—"

"You're leaving?" a new voice inquired, surprised.

Anna froze at the sight of her son, with sand on his feet and pants wet up to his knees. She raised an eyebrow. "You sincerely thought it would be a good idea to just—take off running into the water," she stated.

Hana laughed. "Yeah," he admitted.

"Okay." She breathed in deeply. "Yes, I'm leaving. Try not to be late, because I want you to do your homework today—"

"What?" he demanded, eyes wide. "Why?"

His mother placed her hands on her hips, gazing down at him with an annoyed look in her eyes. "You know I have to be in Osaka tonight."

"Oh, yes. I forgot."

"I am not surprised.

"But I can do my homework on my own!" he offered. "I did it before!"

"Don't remind me," she advised.

Yoh laughed as he joined the conversation, "I can help."

She spared him a sideward glance. "You?" she jeered.

"Yes," he answered. "Why not?"

"Why do you think?"

"Come on," he said, "I grew up."

She raised her eyebrows. "Did you, now?"

He rolled his eyes playfully. "That was just mean."

Anna heaved a sigh. "Yes, the truth hurts. Regardless," she said, turning her attention back to Hana. "You—"

"Let me take him to my place tonight," Yoh suggested, interrupting her impeding sentence.

"Why would I do that?" she countered, raising an eyebrow. "I will be home in the morning. And he already knows—"

"I know. I don't doubt that he can take care of himself. But… Come on, let him."

"I can't," she answered, crossing her arms over her chest. "You don't know what he eats, what he—"

Yoh almost rolled his eyes. "He has a mouth."

She was about to retort, but then she changed her mind. Closing her mouth, she turned to Hana.

"Do you want that?" she asked him, her voice gentle.

The boy shrugged. "I don't mind."

"You're still doing your homework with me tonight," she warned, but her words lacked conviction.

Yoh wondered if his son could feel that as well as he could.

He rolled his eyes. "I already knew that."

"Fine," she said, before swiftly side-stepping them.

She was already halfway the distance to her car when Yoh made up his mind, running after her. He called out her name before he came to a stop beside her. The blonde frowned as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, looking up at him suspiciously. Opening her mouth, she was about to demand explanations, when his next words knocked the breath out of her.

"Let him spend the whole weekend with me."

"What?" she spluttered.

"Let me spend Sunday with him, too."

"Yoh, I…"

"Come on," he pleaded. "Use the time to rest, to relax… anything." He shrugged. "I'll bring him home on Sunday evening, I swear."

She hesitated for a long while. As a silent battle seemed to take place in her eyes, realization slowly dawned on him: this wasn't easy for her. For him, the situation was as simple as it could get at this moment; all he had to do was ask. But she? She had to give. Give and give until almost nothing remained for her.

Eventually, after a long, tension-filled pause, she nodded. "Okay."

As she turned without another word and walked the remained distance to her car, Yoh almost felt sorry for the proposition he had made her. He should have been more considerate. Hana was the only family she had, and she had never had to share him with anybody until now.

But there was a selfish part of him, a much larger, dominant part, that told him that perhaps he had the right to spend time with his child much more than she did—or ever would, now.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Please review! _


	13. Twelve

_**A/N:** Another chapter, here we go!_

_A huge thank you to those who reviewed the last one! It means the world to me to know that you like my story!_

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><p>The apartment was silent when she arrived home that early morning. The sound of her heels clicking on the hardwood floors echoed in the large, empty space.<p>

Outside, the night was still dark, and normally, Anna would take a shower and sleep the remaining hours until the sun climbed up in the sky. Not this time, though.

Heaving a sigh, she forced herself out of the state the resounding emptiness had brought her in and advanced into the room, throwing her keys on the small table near the door. Running a hand through her hair, she dropped her bag on the couch in passing, as she made her way into the kitchen. Her head was pounding, so she grabbed a bottle of Tylenol she always kept within easy reach, shook a pill out, and fetched herself a glass of cold water. She took it with her to the living room after she had swallowed the painkiller, setting it down on the coffee table.

There was no way she could close her eyes in this situation, so she kicked her heels off and settled on the couch to watch the sun break over the city through the large glass wall. She was tired—exhausted, even—both because of the jet lag and the conference she had had to attend, but there were thoughts circling in her head—thoughts that made her restless.

The blonde couldn't remember the last time she had felt so out of her element, so unreasonably scared. Even when Yoh appeared out of the blue on her doorstep, she had known what her next move would be. But now… now it was impossible for her to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Since he was born, Hana had never been _one_ day apart from her—one day. Perhaps she had left him alone for a couple of hours while she dealt with matters regarding work, perhaps there were nights when he went to sleep on his own, and perhaps he had learned to make sandwiches by himself whenever she was late for dinner.

But he had never been away from her.

Anna had known that their lives would have to change once Yoh stepped into the picture. She had known the time had come for her to _share_ her son. She had known that Hana would grow to love his other parent, that maybe he would grow even to _prefer_ him. That had never bothered her, though, because he was his father, and that was the way things should have always been like.

But she was completely in the dark when it came to knowing how to deal with this.

She wanted Hana to be happy more than she wanted anything else in the entire world, but if that meant being away from him…

_"He will try to take Hana away from you."_

_"The need for revenge is something that characterizes the human race."_

"No," she whispered to herself as she brought her knees up to her chest and drove her hands forcefully through her hair. Tears filled her eyes. "You _wouldn't_ do this to me. You wouldn't. You _couldn't_."

The problem was… she had trusted him once. And he had let her down.

She pushed that thought away as soon as it came. She would _not_ blame him for what had happened between them. She would _not_ blame him for their failed marriage. She simply refused to. He wasn't the only one at fault, and thinking like that was selfish and irrational. Anna had spent many restless nights over the past six years trying to come up with a proper explanation for this situation. She had been unable to.

And that was the exact reason why she couldn't blame him.

What she needed to do was trust him. There was no other way.

* * *

><p>The moment they stepped over the threshold, Hana was no longer by his side.<p>

"Mom!" he heard him shout, his little footsteps thundering out of the room.

Yoh took longer in entering, but rounded the corner in time to see him leaping into his mother's arms. Anna caught him easily, hugging him tightly as his own little arms came to wrap around her neck; she smiled, kissing his cheek, before resting her head against his and closing her eyes.

"God, I'm not used to being away from you," she said.

Hana laughed, pulling back to see her face. "Nah, me neither."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I kept my promise," Yoh, who had been watching the exchange quietly from where he leaned against the wall, said, bringing their attention upon him.

"Good for you, yes," she answered. She shifted the boy in her arms, but refused to put him down.

Hana grinned at him from where he had tucked his head below her chin.

Yoh smiled. "You had fun?" he asked.

He laughed, exclaiming, "Yeah!"

Anna kissed the top of his head to hide her smile, bending her head slightly to talk to him, "Why don't you go upstairs?" she suggested, placing another kiss on his cheek.

"Sure," he agreed.

The blonde lowered him to the floor. Her smile was obvious as she watched him bound up the stairs, taking two at a time. Then she turned to Yoh, hands stuck in the back pockets of her jeans, blonde hair falling over her shoulders in soft waves, amber eyes staring directly into his.

"Thank you," she told him, genuinely. "For taking care of him."

Yoh smiled, shaking his head. "No. Thank you, for letting me spend time with him."

"I told you once, Yoh. I won't keep him away from you."

"I don't want you away from me, either," he confessed. "I know that… you don't want to be around me. I know, and I understand. But the thing is… Hana missed you these days. And I—"

"It would be better for him if we were both there," she completed.

Yoh nodded. "We can't be two separate persons. Not when it comes to him."

"I know. I got that. And for Hana…" She shook her head. "Yoh, I would do anything for Hana."

Yoh smiled. "Then I guess we're on the same page," he said. Pulling the key the boy had given him mere minutes before out of his pocket, he attempted to hand it over.

But Anna shook her head. "Keep it," she said. "I have a feeling you'll be around for a long while."

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Now kiss! No, haha! We still have a long way to go before we get to that. _

_Review, pretty please! _


	14. Thirteen

_**A/N:** Sorry for the late update! School started and… *sigh* school started._

_A huge thank you goes to everybody who took their time to review!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>The first time he put his key to use was one evening, when the sun was lowering into the sky, and the scent of wet pavement lingered in the air from the earlier rain.<p>

He had come to take Hana for a walk, but as he opened the door, he was greeted by silence. Upon advancing further into the apartment, he realized why that was. Anna was asleep on the couch, with Hana nestled up in the crook of her neck, their blond hair mingling together. He smiled.

Hana rose upon feeling his presence, peering up at him with curious, half-lidded eyes that widened in excitement as realization sunk in. Signaling him to remain silent, Yoh lifted him effortlessly in his arms, careful not to awaken his mother. Despite shifting slightly and releasing a soft sigh at their movements, the woman continued to sleep, unperturbed.

"She's tired," Hana whispered helpfully. "'Cause she had a project to work on last night."

Yoh's expression softened at the explanation. "I see," he murmured. "Can you go grab a blanket for her? In silence."

The boy nodded eagerly, and as soon as his father set him on his feet, he tore off in the direction of the stairs, only to return a mere minute later with a dark-blue, fleece blanket.

"Go find a jacket," Yoh suggested, taking the offering. "I'll take you out, as promised."

With another nod, Hana disappeared once again, leaving his parents alone.

Yoh unfolded the blanket and gently laid it over the sleeping blonde, before crouching down beside the couch. Now that his son had pointed it out, he could clearly see the tiredness etched in her features; there were faint dark circles underneath her eyes, and the fact that she had not sensed his presence spoke volumes.

But she looked calm. Her cheeks were rosy, she was taking in deep, even breaths, and her body seemed more relaxed than he had seen it in a long time.

While he was lost in his thoughts, she shifted again, causing a lock of blonde hair to slide over her face. It was practically a no-brainer when he reached out to return it to its place.

As he did so, he was momentarily distracted by the silkiness of her hair and the softness of her skin, and he ran his eyes over her features. How she could be so beautiful was beyond him. The two of them were by no means old, but regardless of that, the years had completely passed her by. Sleeping like she was—calm, warm and small, swallowed by a soft, dark blanket—she was the same precious girl he had met so much time in the past, the girl that had him wrapped around her finger from the moment she addressed him for the first time, the girl that had made him fall in love with her at first sight.

And there were times like these when he wondered… what had gone wrong for them to end up like this—separated and full of resentments?

But there was no time to delve deeper in that matter, because his son came downstairs, and Yoh realized in that moment that the past mattered less than he would have wanted.

What he had to focus on now was the present—and that present was Hana. Hana and his happiness.

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><p>When the blonde woke up, night had fallen. The room was dark, the only source of light being the bustling city below.<p>

Pushing herself into a sitting position, she called out Hana's name. She frowned as a soft, warm blanket that she didn't remember having used slid down her body to pool around her lap. The young boy was known for taking care of her, but he usually woke her up to tell her to go to bed. Then again, she had been so tired this time, that she had even failed to sense him slip out of her arms, so she could understand if he told her she hadn't reacted to his attempts at rousing her.

Running a hand through her hair, she sighed tiredly, swinging her legs over the edge of the couch. "Hana," she called again.

Thoughts of dinner were filling her mind as she realized that all she had received in response was silence. She opened her mouth to shout again, louder this time, but stopped. Hana wouldn't ignore her—and perhaps more importantly, he wouldn't be so quiet, even if she were asleep.

Panic in her system, she flung the blanked off her and was about to stand up when a key turned in the lock and the front door opened. Familiar footsteps ran down the hallway, and she heaved out a sigh of relief. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her racing heart, opening them back just in time to see her son leap onto the couch, beside her, grinning as he threw his arms around her for a hug. She returned the gesture eagerly, burying her nose into his hair. Her gaze rose as the light switched on; another set of footsteps approached, and Yoh came into her line of sight, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Don't ever do that again," she warned, her temper flaring. Her hand smoothed over Hana's head as it rested on her shoulder.

Yoh smiled lightly. "Anna, there is no other person he could have been with than me."

"I imagined," she snapped. "But that doesn't matter. You need to tell me when you take him."

She was not mad—she was annoyed, but she was relieved more. Her eyes were guarded, but there was an underlying veil of fear in them that shone brightly as she clutched Hana to her chest. And he realized in that moment, she had been truly scared.

His eyes softening, he crouched down beside the couch. "Hey, it's okay," he soothed, laying a hand over her forearm. "I promise I will. But you were sleeping…"

"You could have left me a note," she countered. "If you hadn't come when you did, I don't know what I would have done."

Hana laughed in her arms. "Mom," he whined.

Anna titled his chin up, looking down at him. "You have no right to say anything," she told him. "You know how precious you are to me."

The boy grinned, hugging her in response.

She kissed the top of his head. "Go get changed and I'll start dinner, alright?"

With a nod, he left the comfort of her arms and jumped off the couch, storming upstairs.

Anna watched him leave, making sure he was out of sight before she turned her gaze to Yoh. "Don't ever do that again," she repeated, her tone cold and hard.

He blinked, surprised. "Anna, we've already been through this. He couldn't have been with any other person than me."

"I don't care who he's with—if he's with you or with a stranger. I _need_ to know where he is. So the next time you think of taking him away, you'll have to tell me when you're taking me, where you're taking him, what you're going to do there, and when you're bringing him back. Do you understand?"

Yoh scoffed. He knew she was protective of her son, and he understood that, but this was ridiculous. "What do you think I'll do to him? Steal him away?"

Throwing him a harsh glare, she looked away, her entire body tense with anger.

Once again, he found his answer in her silence. "You think I'll take him away from you," he concluded ironically.

"So what?" she demanded, standing up and forcing him to do the same. "You wouldn't _do_ that? You haven't _thought_ of that? You wouldn't be _capable_ of that?"

He laughed disbelievingly. "Anna, the only one between the two of us capable of that is you," he hissed.

Clenching her jaw, she made a move to leave, but he grabbed her arm, yanked her back roughly, and kept her in place.

"Listen to me," he demanded. "I don't care _what_ you do. We've already established this. If you decide you don't want to be around me anymore, you're free to go. But you're not taking Hana with you again. Because if you do that, I'll follow you to the end of the world, Anna."

"Yes, I know," she replied abruptly, harshly, standing her ground and glaring up at him. "I know you're strong and powerful and influential. I _know_ that. But for Hana, I'm capable of _killing_. So don't come to me with threats."

Violently yanking her arm out of his tight grip, she stormed away, leaving him to place his hands on his hips, hang his head, close his eyes and sigh heavily in defeat. This was not what he had had in mind when he came to see Hana tonight…

"I'm sorry," a trembling voice cut loud and clear through the thick silence that had fallen over the room.

Eyes widening in surprise, he turned to see Anna, halfway to the stairs, hands buried in the back pockets of her jeans self-consciously and large amber eyes staring up at him uncertainly.

"I didn't mean that. I overreacted. But try to understand, Hana is all I have. _Please_ let me know the next time you take him."

Yoh sighed. "I was, Anna," he repeated. "I was, but you were sleeping, and he said you were tired…"

"It doesn't matter," she insisted. "It doesn't matter if I'm sleeping or if I'm working… It does _not_ matter. I _need_ to know."

As realization slowly dawned on him, followed by understanding, the brunet nodded. "Alright."

"Thank you," she whispered, and the vulnerability in her demeanor nearly made him squeeze his eyes shut to block the image out.

Hana was not just her son. He was not just her family. He was everything. He was her entire world. And the reason why she had kept him away from him, from his father, had not been selfishness, but rather, selflessness. There was no way it could have been easy for her to raise a child by herself, and Yoh knew it had not. But she had done it—and she had done it because she had known that witnessing their fights and living in their house would only devastate their child.

Everything—absolutely everything she had done over the past six years—had been about Hana and for Hana. Exactly like she had said—exactly like he had refused to believe.

And he had no right to judge her. He had no right to be upset with her. He had no right to feel superior to her. Because she, as much as it pained him to admit, had made the right choice.

"Give me some time, alright?" she pleaded, taking a step closer. "I'm not like Hana. I need… I need a bit more to get used to everything—to sharing him, to coming home and not finding him here, to you. I'm scared. You know I've always been scared of what lay ahead—of changes, of uncertainty. You know I've always been protective of the people I love. This isn't going to last forever. You won't have to answer to me for the rest of your life, but—help me a little, will you? Give me some time to learn how to trust you again."

His answer, when it came, was a whisper. "You don't really believe what you said, do you?" It sounded like a question, but there, in that room, looking at each other in the eye, they both knew it was a plea.

"Yoh, I…" She hesitated. "I'm not going to lie to you. I don't feel like I know you anymore. I had been feeling like I was living with a stranger for a long time before we separated. But no, I don't believe that."

She shook her head, an incredulous smile curling the corners of her lips upwards as she ran her hand through her hair in a desperate manner—the contrast so stark that it nearly knocked the breath out of him.

"I don't know what it is about you that makes me say things I don't mean. But I'm not letting history repeat itself. I can't do that to Hana. I can't." Shaking her head, she closed the distance between them. "Let's make a promise," she said, eyes boring into his—begging him to listen, to understand, to agree. "I don't know how much my word means to you after everything—or if it still means anything at all—but please, let's do this. Let's promise that we won't fight anymore. That we won't judge each other, that we won't scream every time we don't agree on something. Let's promise to talk things out—every insecurity, every question." Biting her lip, she fought back the tears that flooded her eyes. "We didn't make good spouses," she whispered. "But let's make good parents."

His entire expression softening, he stepped forward, so close that he could feel her suave perfume. The instinct to protect that had been laying dormant inside of him for so long came back in a rush, increased tenfold, as he stared down at her small figure. Reaching out, he hesitated, but went through with his action, tucking a blonde strand behind her ear and caressing her silky hair. She didn't recoil.

"I promise," he said, staring straight into her thankful eyes. "Everything will be alright. Trust me on this one."

It was the first time in six years that he said that phrase and believed it with every fiber of his being.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Mwuhahahaha, I bet you didn't see that one coming! Sorry about that, but it needed to be done. They needed to be willing to work out their problems, not just brush past them, like they were about to do. Moreover, Yoh still didn't understand her. He was willing to push aside his ill feelings in order for Hana to have both parents by his side—maybe even in order for him to have her close—but he still held a grudge against her for keeping their child a secret. Now that they've had this talk, we can begin to make progress, haha!_

_Please review! :)_


	15. Fourteen

_**A/N: **Hello, everybody!First and foremost, I want to thank you all for your support! I can't believe this story's almost up to 100 reviews! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Love you!_

_Second, in case there are any questions about the timeline, this scene happens sometime in July. I imagined Hana working on the homework he'd been assigned for the summer vacation. Which means that it's been a while, our two lovebirds have had enough time to get used to the changes in their lifestyles, open up, and become comfortable in each other's presence. _

_And third, enjoy this chapter!_

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><p>The second time that he used his key was on a hot summer evening. He had just returned from abroad, and wanted to see the two most important persons in his life before he headed home to catch a few hours of undisturbed sleep.<p>

What he found was Hana sulking at the kitchen table and Anna nowhere to be seen.

There was a notebook and a textbook spread out in front of him; his brows were furrowed, and he was looking as though he wanted to be anywhere else but there. His entire face lit up when he turned and caught sight of him; he was jumping out of his seat and launching himself at him before Yoh could even fully process the action.

He grinned as he caught him and easily lifted him up into his arms, hugging his small frame tightly against his.

It was almost amazing, how effortlessly he had managed to make a place for himself in Hana's life, how natural loving him had come, how easily he had managed to fit in the role of a father, and how much satisfaction it brought. And he knew that part of the reason for that was Anna—for keeping his place in his son's life unoccupied.

At times like these, he felt terribly guilty for all the things he had screamed at her that fateful night.

"You know, it's incredible how I leave you alone for ten minutes, and you find something else to do."

Yoh turned around at the sound of her voice to come face to face with the woman that would forever be haunting his thoughts.

She was dressed in a dark blue, short dress, with sleeves that reached her elbows and hems that brushed her mid-thighs. Her long legs were clad in a pair of high, nude heels, and she was holding an envelope in her hands, together with her phone and a set of keys. Long blonde hair had been twisted in a messy up-do in order not to fall down her back. She was wearing make-up, her eyes touched with the slightest hint of brown, her lips tainted pink, and her complexion as flawless as always.

He had thought the only one whom he had missed had been Hana. After all, he had been used to her absence. It seemed like he had been wrong, though, because all that he felt in that moment, all he could possibly _think_, was how to never let this woman out of his sight again.

"It wasn't my fault!" Hana complained from where he sat in his embrace, his little arms wrapped around his neck.

"I know," Anna answered. "I was simply curious if you wrote down another word in the time that I was gone."

"It wasn't—"

"Quit," she advised. "Now."

Hana promptly shut his mouth at her stern tone and the serious expression on her face, but when Yoh turned his head to face him with a knowing grin, he was surprised to find him not _glaring_ at her, but rather pressing his lips together in order to keep from _laughing_.

And he was left to wonder—how much was there left for him to learn about their relationship? How much was there left for him to discover about Anna, about the mother of his child?

"I'm hungry?" he attempted, as incapable of losing an argument as the blonde herself was known to be.

"Sure," she agreed. "I make dinner, you do homework, and we'll see what happens next."

"I'll help," Yoh offered.

Anna rolled her eyes, already making her way towards the kitchen area. "Yes, you can stay, do nothing, and then have dinner with us."

Hana and Yoh both laughed.

* * *

><p>Later, he sat at the table with his son, gazing around the luxurious apartment while he struggled to concentrate on finishing his homework.<p>

When his eyes caught on a particularly expensive-looking bouquet of blood-red roses, he frowned.

Hana, who had abandoned his sentence in favor of checking up on his father, followed his line of sight, glanced at the vase once, and then shrugged as he returned his gaze to his notebook.

"Daisuke likes her," he offered as an explanation.

Yoh's entire expression seemed to darken as his eyes snapped down to look at him. "Who's Daisuke?"

"Her boss," he answered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. But she ignores him."

Huffing an amused breath, he smiled. He should have known. "That's good to know," he murmured, more to himself than to his son.

"Kind of everybody likes her," the boy continued. "She's really pretty."

"Is she, now?" Yoh asked, grinning now, his gaze rising to watch her move about in the kitchen. "You proud of her?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "She's prettier than most moms out there."

"That she is, Hana," he said, gathering all of his willpower to unglue his eyes from her figure and look back down at his son. He ruffled his hair. "That she is."

"What are you two doing?" she demanded, taking them by surprise. They turned to see her standing beside them, hands on her hips. "Chatting?"

Hana laughed.

"What's wrong?" Leaning against the table with one hand, she gazed down at him.

The boy looked up at her with a confused expression on his features.

Anna rolled her eyes. "You've been staring at that notebook for five minutes, and it better _not_ be because you're being lazy."

"I don't get this," he immediately claimed.

Whether he truly didn't or he said that exactly _because_ he was smart, Yoh wasn't able to tell.

He could only watch, with a fond look in his eyes, as she explained the apparent problem to him, leaning over him, wavy strands of blonde hair falling around her face. Her voice was patient as she spoke, and he could see the adoration in her expression.

"Is that clear?" she asked.

Hana nodded.

She rolled her eyes once more as she moved back to the kitchen area. "Stop pouting," she said. "It's not getting you out of this."

"But, Mom—"

"You're doing your homework and that's that," she said in a firm voice.

Grinning, Yoh rubbed his back affectionately. "Come on," he coaxed. "The faster you get this done, the sooner you can go back to your normal life."

"I know, but…" he whined, and from experience, the brunet knew he was resisting the urge to slam his head down on the table.

He laughed. "And if I promise to take you out once you finish?"

The young boy still seemed reluctant, but after a moment of deliberation, nodded in agreement.

Yoh smiled as he watched him pick up his pen and return to his homework, taking that as his cue to leave. With a new resolve, he moved to help the blonde in the kitchen. She was retrieving a knife from a drawer to cut up the ingredients for a salad when he came to stand beside her. Leaning against the counter with his hands on either side of him, he watched her.

"He seems to be a lot like me," he remarked wryly.

Anna rolled her eyes. "You have no idea how right you are," she said.

He swallowed heavily. "Have you ever… thought about me when he did these things? When he complained, when he…?"

Anna swore, and he immediately straightened in alarm. She had cut herself with the knife.

"Shit," he muttered. Taking control, he opened the tap and grabbed her hand, shoving it under the cold water. A small hiss escaped her lips; the wound was deep, thick blood trickling out of it and mixing with water to run down the drain. She attempted to jerk away at first, but he kept her in place with a firm grip on her wrist until he spotted a clean rag on the counter and was able to press it to the cut.

Holding her finger tightly, he looked at her in the eye. Neither spoke for a long moment. It seemed like an eternity had passed since they last gazed at each other like that.

"Should I take that as a 'yes'?" he eventually asked.

She averted her gaze. "What we had, Yoh… what we had was special. There was no way I could have forgotten it so easily, just because I wanted to. Hana reminded me of you in every way possible." She huffed an amused breath, shaking her head. "He still does."

"That can't have been easy, Anna," he pressed, taking a step closer, the movement coaxing her into looking up at him. "It just can't. How did you deal with it?"

"The same way anybody would have, in my place," she answered breezily. "It's okay now," she said, gently taking her hand back. "Thanks."

Leaning against the counter once again, he watched as she walked out of the room, only to return a moment later with a band-aid. After wrapping it expertly around her finger, she resumed her activities.

The words pushed their way past his lips then, long before he could filter them, long before he could think them through. Almost immediately, though, he decided he didn't regret saying them. "Do you think…?"

"No," she answered firmly, abruptly. She didn't need to hear the rest in order to know what he meant, what he was asking her.

Yoh, on his part, recognized the signs. The walls were once again rising around her to protect her, like they did every time she was vulnerable—like they did every time she was around him.

And there was nothing he could do to stop that.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** You have no idea how much tweaking I did! This was one of those chapters where nothing sounded right… bleah._

_Outfit on Flickr; make-up on Tumblr. Haha! _

_Review, please!_


	16. Fifteen

_**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait! As you all already know, I've been a bit busy lately… But hopefully, I'll manage to get the next chapter out quicker! I can't make any promises at this point, though._

_Thank you to everybody who took the time to review! I love you! _

_Enjoy this chapter!_

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><p>That day, Yoh came to take Anna and Hana to lunch, but as soon as the front door opened, he realized that something was wrong. She was as pale as a sheet, and she had a glass of water in her hand. There was no other evidence to lead him to that conclusion, but the brunet knew her—and that was enough.<p>

"Are you alright?" he asked, frowning, giving her the chance to tell him about it on her own.

Anna, on the other hand, nodded. "My head hurts, but it's nothing serious."

Skeptical, he closed the distance between them and placed the back of his hand over her forehead, checking her temperature.

The blonde closed her eyes in relief at the feel of his cold hand touching her heated skin.

"You're burning up…" he whispered his realization, brown eyes meeting amber ones.

"It must be the common cold," she dismissed, swatting his hand away. "Do you think you can handle Hana on your own for tonight? I could take care of him, but he's annoyingly protective. He could make me go to the hospital with the simple promise to shut up—and that would be a drag."

Yoh huffed a half-amused, half-astonished breath. Even after all the time that had passed since he entered their lives, the relationship between them never failed to amaze him. "That's good," he concluded.

Heaving a sigh, she closed her eyes and grimaced subtly as the throbbing in her head intensified.

"Fuck," he cursed before he could stop himself. "How can I help? What do you need?"

"I need you to take Hana to your place tonight," she repeated, exasperated. "Feed him, entertain him—keep his mind off me. And take care of him."

"I will, but who will take care of you?" he asked.

"I will," she answered, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry about me, alright? I'll take a pill—"

"You already did," he interrupted pointedly, but was rudely ignored.

"—and go to sleep. I'll feel better in the morning."

Yoh sighed, taking a moment to study her pale features. Everything in him told him not to leave, told him to stay, to take care of her, because that might as well be the reason why he was born into this world, but he knew differently. Anna wouldn't allow him that.

"Are you sure?" he asked one last time, gazing deep into her eyes.

There was no hesitation from her part as she answered. "Yes."

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><p>"I heard you take good care of your mother," Yoh remarked, later that day, as they sat on the porch, eating ice-cream. They had played football beforehand, and with his seemingly endless supply of energy, the little boy had nearly tired him out.<p>

Although he looked surprised at his question, Hana answered without hesitation. "Yeah," he said. "She takes care of me, too."

"Do you think…" He paused. For a moment, the thought of being on the verge of taking it too far occurred to him. But it was soon dismissed. "Would you like to have someone to take care of both of you?"

He frowned. "Someone like who?" he inquired curiously.

"Someone like me," Yoh answered simply.

He seemed to contemplate the idea for a couple of seconds. "Then we'd have to take care of you, too."

Yoh smiled at the innocence in his conclusion. "No." He shook his head. "I meant… taking that responsibility off your shoulders. Taking care of you… of both of you."

"Then who takes care of you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Myself."

Everything about him changed in that moment. The naiveté he had so openly displayed earlier disappeared in an instant, making place for an amount of wisdom that very few children possessed. A painfully familiar look in his eyes, Hana watched him.

"You want my mother back, don't you?"

Yoh smiled sadly. He was perceptive—like his mother. "Some things can't be recovered once you lose them, Hana."

The boy blinked. "Why?" he asked. "It's not like she's dead."

There used to be a time when life was as simple as that, he realized, staring down at his feet as his child's words rang in his head over and over again. When had life become so complicated? And what if he made an effort to revert it back to what it once was?

* * *

><p>Anna had finished splashing cold water on her face when she heard the door to her bedroom opening. Exiting the bathroom, she leaned against the wooden structure of the door, furrowing her brows at the sight of Yoh standing in the middle of the room, brown eyes set on her figure.<p>

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice coming out softer and smaller than she had expected. She felt terribly queasy and dizzy, and she nearly fell over when she let go of the doorframe.

Thankfully, Yoh was by her side in an instant, holding her forearms, effortlessly supporting her weight. "You're not feeling well," he answered. "I'm here to take care of you."

She rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself. Where's Hana?"

"In his room," he said.

She frowned. Usually, Hana wanted to be there with her when she was sick, pushing her and pestering her and never once leaving her side until she was better. What could have Yoh possibly said to him to make him change his mind and stay away this time?

"I told him I'd take care of you," he said, as though reading her mind.

"He trusts you," she whispered her realization.

His eyes were soft when they met hers. "I guess he does," he murmured, suddenly vulnerable. "Is it wrong of him?"

A wave of dizziness washed over her before she could answer, and she would have fallen over had it not been for his hands stabilizing her yet again. She buried her face into his shirt, shaking her head languidly in a negative response.

"No," she whispered. "No, it isn't."

"Come on," he coaxed, stroking her hair once before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leading her to the bed. "Sit," he commanded. "You need to drink something. I'll bring you some water, alright?"

The blonde nodded, no longer having the strength to oppose to his decisions.

"Did you take anything?" he asked.

"Aspirin," she answered.

"You'll need something stronger than that," he said, more to himself than to her, before standing up and walking out of the room, only to return a mere minute later with a tall glass of water and a while pill. Handing the two items to her, he waited patiently for her to finish drinking, crouched down in front of her. "Go to sleep," he coaxed as he took the half empty glass from her hands and laid it on the nightstand.

The blonde complied, the idea of lying down sounding too appealing for her to be able to turn it down, and he pulled the covers over her small body before climbing in bed beside her.

By the time he had adjusted his position so that he could watch over her, she seemed to have already fallen asleep.

* * *

><p>When Hana went to check on his parents later that night, he found them both of the bed, fast asleep.<p>

His father was lying atop of the covers, one arm slung over her waist, hand intertwined with hers on top of her stomach. His head was higher on the pillow than her own, causing blonde locks of silky hair to scatter on his neck and shoulders. His hold, though, was so protective that the boy found himself grinning.

His mother, on the other hand, was bundled underneath the duvet. She lied with her back to him, yet there was something about her posture that screamed vulnerability. It was as though every inch of her body was actually leaning into him, desperate for his possessive embrace. She was safe, asleep in his presence; and for once, her guards were down.

It occurred to him then that his father was the first person around whom he had ever seen his mother so relaxed, and at the same time, so trusting.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Review, please! _


	17. Sixteen

_**A/N:** Time for a chapter full of love! *cough* and drama…_

_Thank you to everybody who reviewed!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>The following morning, Yoh woke up with her snuggled in the crook of his arm.<p>

She was sleeping peacefully under the warm covers, facing him; her head was resting on his shoulder, blonde hair scattered over the white pillow beneath, and one of her hands was sprawled on his chest, lightly clutching the material of his white shirt.

Brushing a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear, he took the time to examine her perfect features, fingers trailing from her forehead, to her nose, her high cheekbones, and then her lips. Anna was beautiful all the time, but there was something about her when she slept that he had always found oddly fascinating. Perhaps it was the way she seemed relieved of all the burdens she usually carried; perhaps it was the way he could ogle her all he wanted without having her complain. Or perhaps it was simply because he loved her so much.

That was a mystery he had never quite managed to solve, but that was alright, as long as he had the chance to think about it every so often.

Smiling, he brushed his hand over her cheek one last time, before grasping her hand and attempting to slide out from underneath her, with plans to prepare breakfast in his mind. Before he could move more than an inch, though, he heard a small whine coming from her. With a furrow between her brows, she snuggled closer to him, burying her face into the crook of his neck and exhaling contently.

She used to do that, he remembered. She used to do that, because, even in her subconscious, she knew he would leave before she awoke.

How many times had he abandoned her like that? How many sunny mornings had she woken up to an empty bed? How many cold winter nights had she spent alone? He had coaxed her to open up and rely on someone, and when she finally managed, what did he do? Leave. Over and over again, disappoint her.

His heart clenched in his chest at the painful realization—and suddenly, he found it hard to breathe normally.

* * *

><p>It was impossible for the blonde to know, as they sat at the same table that morning, why he seemed to be avoiding her gaze.<p>

"He has… a lot of furyoku," he remarked at a certain point during breakfast—the breakfast he had prepared before waking her up.

Anna spared a glance in the direction of the living room, where Hana had all his attention focused on a video game. "I know," she said, nonchalantly, as she took a bite from her food.

Yoh smiled. "I know you know," he said. "What I was trying to find out… is if he knows, too."

She shrugged. "He knows about the spirits. He can see them, he talks to them… He knows that I can see them, too. But I never… I never told him he can do more. Because—what was the point in telling him he was much more different than other children when I couldn't teach him everything I talked about?"

"But I can," he concluded. Then he paused, and thought again. "Can I?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Of course you can."

"I want to teach him to defend himself. I want to give him Amidamaru. I want… I want him to be a part of this."

She nodded in understanding, staring down at her plate. "Go ahead. I'm not going to stop you."

With a smile, he reached for her hand across the table, giving it a light squeeze. "Thank you," he said. "I'll take him today. You need to rest, anyway."

Nodding once more, she stood, taking her now empty plate with her to the sink. "Take him. I don't want him to hover around me like I'm dying."

Her intention was to wash the dishes, but Yoh's hand wrapped around her wrist and pushed her away before she could even start. "I'll take care of that," he said. "You just rest."

Her expression softening, she hesitated, but then she gathered her courage and laid a hand over his forearm. "Thank you, Yoh," she whispered, looking at him in the eye for what seemed to be the first time that day. "For everything."

Surprise showing clearly in his demeanor, he looked down at her hand, then at her.

He never answered. All he did was reach out and smooth a hand softly and reassuringly over her hair and cheek. But in that moment, she found it hard to remember the last time she had felt so safe, so trusting, so content with the world around her.

She wondered if she ever truly had.

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><p>When the two of them returned to the apartment later that evening, she was asleep on the couch.<p>

Yoh smiled at the sight, brushing a hand over her head as he crouched down so that they were at eye-level.

As expected, she stirred at his touch, her eyelids fluttering open. She gazed up at him blearily, the world still in a post-sleep haze.

"Hey," he greeted. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hana clamber up on the armrest opposite from her.

"Hey," she answered; her voice was rough from sleep. "What time is it?"

"Around eight," he said.

"Are you alright, Mom?" Hana asked, peering over at her curiously.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," she answered, her voice instinctively gaining a more reassuring tone.

With a smile, Yoh slipped his arms underneath her. "Come here," he said, and before she had a chance to complain, he swiftly picked her up, holding her bridal style.

She whined even as her arms came to wrap around his neck and her head buried itself into his shoulder. "I can get to bed by myself."

"I never doubted that," he whispered in her ear, carrying her across the room effortlessly. "I'll be back in a minute," he let Hana know.

"How did it go?" she murmured when they reached her room, and he lowered her gently onto the mattress with a chuckle.

"He mastered Oversoul on the first try," he said.

She smiled, eyes closed from the moment her head touched the pillow.

"Go to sleep," he whispered, smoothing her hair back from her forehead and pulling the covers over her.

She made a small sound of agreement in the back of her throat, somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness, before her breathing evened out, her chest rising and falling rhythmically.

His hand hovered above her hair as she shifted slightly in her sleep, and he hesitated. Leaning down, he pressed his lips with a feathery pressure to temple, his eyes squeezing shut at the painful way his heart clenched in his chest. Resting his forehead against hers, he let out a shuddering breath.

His whispered words were swallowed by the darkness, unheard by her—unheard, perhaps, even by him.

"_I love you."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Please let me know what you thought!_


	18. Seventeen

_**A/N:**__ I apologize for the long wait! I was busy with my exam, and after my exam I went on a quick holiday, and in the meantime I focused on writing the next chapter of _Pieces of Me_—which is, thankfully, nearly finished. _

_Enjoy this late update!_

_P.S. This takes place sometime in late August._

* * *

><p>That particular morning, she was reading a magazine while Yoh helped—or rather, pretended to help—Hana with his homework.<p>

Even as the summer vacation was coming to an end, the blonde had had to recur to forceful methods in order make her child sit still for long enough to complete the last of his schoolwork.

He had been restless ever since his father had introduced him to the Shaman World, and while she liked the prospect of the two of them spending time together, she was not particularly fond of the hours spent in his absence. Nor was she fond of the way nothing ever captured his attention anymore.

But because she understood how fascinating every little discovery must seem to him so early in his journey, she kept her complaints to herself.

"I want to see one of these."

His words snapped her out of her thoughts. When she raised her head and saw what exactly he was talking about, she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, of course," she commented sarcastically.

Yoh, on the other hand, had a different reaction. "You want to see one?"

Turning her attention back to the two of them, she watched as Hana eagerly nodded his head.

Yoh grinned. "Well, then—"

"Yoh!" she admonished, throwing a glare in his direction.

He blinked, as though surprised. "What?"

"Stop spoiling him."

"I haven't even finished my sentence!" he defended.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I know what you're going to say."

His unsure, yet still somewhat mischievous, gaze slid to Hana, who looked back at him with hopeful eyes.

The boy opened his mouth to speak then, only to have his mother interrupt him.

"No, you don't need anything, Hana. You don't even need to eat. What you need to do is finish that essay."

"I can't—"

"You chose the theme yourself, Hana," she reminded him. "You chose to write about tigers. I told you to write about something normal, did I not?"

"Yes, but I never thought I'd be lacking in inspiration!" he declared.

Anna raised her eyebrows. "Well, you certainly don't seem to be lacking in fancy words."

Yoh laughed. "Why are you arguing?" he asked, effectively ending their discussion. "We're wasting time. Come on." Standing up, he tugged on Hana's hand, coaxing him to do the same.

The blonde rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the magazine in her hands. "Whatever," she said, deeming arguing with them a lost cause. "Just be back before dinner."

"Yeah, yeah," he droned, rolling his eyes. "As if. Come on, Anna."

She shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes, you are," he insisted, approaching her. "You can't stay here."

"I don't _want_ to go."

Ignoring her protests, he took the magazine from her lap and laid it on the table. Anna glared up at his offered hand and was about to cross her arms over her chest in a typical act of defiance, but he grasped her wrists and effortlessly lifted her out of her seat before she could even set her body in motion.

"Yoh, no," she insisted, her voice closer to a whine than to a death threat. Not once did she struggle to escape his grip, though; she knew there was no point.

On his part, the brunet rolled his eyes. "Come on."

"No!" she snapped, visibly annoyed this time.

"Why do you insist on making this difficult?"

"I am not—" She stopped, rolling her eyes.

In that moment, as a grin spread on his features, Yoh knew he had won. Laughing, he grabbed her hips and turned her around, walking her to the door, where Hana was waiting for them with his own grin on his face, without further protest from her part.

* * *

><p>Kyoyama Anna was a strong woman. She had held her head high throughout every difficult situation she had encountered in her life, and she was no longer afraid of what could lay ahead.<p>

She had wanted to spend time with Hana and Yoh more than she remembered wanting something so simple in a long, long time, but even so, she had been ready to sacrifice that, because she knew that what the two needed was to spend time _together_. She had no place—not between them.

Given that, it seemed irrational, even to her, that at the mere sight of a baby feline, her heart—along with the rest of her body—promptly melted. The bad news? Both father and son noticed that.

She ignored the look the former continued to give her, though. Instead, she dedicated herself to watching her child. Yoh was spoiling him, true, but contrary to what she had told him earlier, she was more than happy to see that. Hana deserved it. He deserved his father and everything he had to offer him.

Eventually, after what then seemed to be the longest ten minutes of her entire life, she caved. She crouched down and beckoned the small feline to approach her, surpassing a smile when it did.

"Do you want to feed him?" the man she had earlier been introduced to offered, handing her a bottle of warm milk.

She accepted, and Hana, with a large grin on his face, settled beside her. As tiny paws began to massage her hand as they would do with their mother, Anna lost the battle.

She smiled.

* * *

><p>Yoh watched the scene silently from the doorway, with a smile on his face and an indescribable look in his eyes.<p>

"That's her, isn't it?" the man asked as he came to stand beside him, a knowing tinge to his voice.

From across the room, the blonde raised her head to look at her son, still smiling, tucking locks of rebellious hair behind her ear with her free hand.

His eyes softened, and never once left her. "Yeah…" he said, almost in a whisper. "That's her."

"Keep her," he advised. "She would make a wonderful queen."

"I know," Yoh responded with all the conviction in the world. "She was made for this." Then he heaved a sigh, shifting his upright position and burying his hands in his pockets. "But it seems like she wasn't made for me."

"Of course she was," the man argued, huffing an amused breath. "I've seen the way you look at each other, the way you communicate, even without words. That kind of understanding is hard to find. Don't fool yourself."

Yoh shrugged, resigned. "I screwed up, old man. I don't know how to make it alright again."

"I'm sure that if you can bear the weight of the entire world on your shoulders, you can find a way to win her back."

"I don't want to screw up _again_," he said, glancing at him. "She's in my life now. Hana's there now. And I…" He shook his head. "I don't want to risk losing her again."

The man sighed. "Well, you know. No risk, no gain." He clapped his shoulder, and left.

There was a mild furrow between his eyebrows, but aside from that, there was no sign of him having heard him. His brown eyes flickered with a mixture of emotions, but since he had become such an expert at surpassing them, he buried them deep inside him with little effort. With a sigh, he straightened and approached the two most important persons in his life, crouching down next to his son.

Hana looked up at him from where he was sitting on the floor, still grinning. "Can we take him home?" he asked, a hopeful look on his face even though he already knew the answer.

Yoh laughed. "I don't think so, buddy. He has a mother."

He perked up. "Can I see her?"

"You won't be able to pet her," he said.

"Be _sure_ of that," Anna reinforced from beside him, shooting both of them a warning glance.

Their laughter resounded in the large, enclosed space.

* * *

><p>Back in town, Anna opted for a chocolate smoothie instead of a more consistent lunch, which she took with her to the park Hana insisted they visited.<p>

Seated on a bench, next to Yoh, she soon found herself smiling, shaking her head as she watched her child chase a stray bird. He was more mature than his age should permit, that was a given, but sometimes, he acted so childishly she was amazed.

"How did you choose his name?" the brunet suddenly asked, changing the focus of her attention.

She frowned sideways at him. "Why all the weird questions lately?"

Yoh smiled. "I want to know."

Her eyes were soft when she answered. "It's our names."

"What?"

"Our names combined," she explained, sliding her gaze back to her son. "Yoh and Anna. Hana."

The person in question promptly jumped into a pile of leaves, scattering them over the lush grass, and she smiled. When the man beside her remained quiet for more than she had expected, she turned to look at him. What met her was a lost expression of awe, disbelief, and confusion.

"You never for a moment thought about excluding me from your lives," he whispered, gazing at her with troubled eyes.

"Yoh," she said, shaking her head as a small smile stretched on her lips. "What I wanted most after Hana's happiness was you—there, with me. The you from before we got married. That seventeen year old Yoh that… that cared about one thing in life and that was to protect me. To make me happy. I'm not selfish, you know this. I know the world needs you. But since then… since the moment you began to get involved—truly involved… you weren't mine anymore. You weren't ours."

The pain displayed so openly in his eyes made her turn her gaze away as she shook her head.

"But that doesn't matter anymore."

"I wanted to come after you," he confessed, almost as though wanting to apologize, to explain himself. "But I was angry, too."

"I know," she answered.

"I—"

"It didn't work," she interrupted him, shrugging. "It didn't work, Yoh. It happens to the best of us. We foolishly believed that living together since we were mere children would make us understand each other. We thought that we would grow to feel love for one another—the kind of love that could support a marriage."

She smiled, but it was a sad smile, laced with pain.

His breath caught in his throat. Could it be that… that this woman still… _cared_ about him?

"We didn't. And we need to come to terms with that."

"We were happy…" he reminded her.

"We were," she agreed, nodding. "Hana is proof of that. And I believe we should conserve that happiness, don't you think?"

His answer was late, but when it came, it was affirmative. "Yeah," he said. "We should."

* * *

><p>Once the plane had leveled above the ground, Hana clambered up in her lap, resting his head in the crook of her neck.<p>

Yoh smiled as he walked past them in his stride to reach his seat, stopping for a moment to lay a hand over his small back. "If you want to sleep, there's a bedroom at the back," he offered.

"I don't want to sleep," Hana protested, his voice partially muffled against his mother's blouse.

The brunet raised his eyebrows in amusement, while the blonde shot him a knowing look, smirking. He smiled in response, taking a seat across from her to enjoy his bottle of cold water.

It was only a matter of minutes before Hana fell asleep in Anna's arms, while she stroked his messy, blond locks and laid the occasional kiss on his forehead.

By the time they arrived in Tokyo, night had fallen, and a storm was building up in the skies. While droplets of water had yet to begin their descent, the atmosphere was charged, and thunder could already be heard rumbling lowly every once in a while.

Yoh took Hana from his mother's arms once the plane had landed, and the little boy wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face into his shoulder even in his half-asleep state. He motioned for Anna to hand him a blanket so that he wouldn't feel the cold outside, and after offering a quiet thank you to the pilot, they made their way to the car.

On the road, drops of water began to splash against the windshield, and by the time they made it to the apartment, rain was falling relentlessly from the sky; thunder roared, lightening flashed, and the wind bent the tree branches to its will.

Yoh never once stopped on his way to take his son to his room. Hana nestled in his pillow as soon as he laid him down on the bed, tucking the cool sheets around him, and stroking the hair away from his face with a loving grin.

Anna was waiting for him in the kitchen when he came back downstairs. She had kicked off her shoes and caught her hair in a ponytail, and was now sipping from a glass of water.

He smiled at her when she turned to face him, taking a couple of steps closer.

"I'm leaving now," he announced. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Setting her glass on the counter, she closed the distance between them. "Don't drive on this weather," she told him, looking up at him. "You can sleep here."

For a long moment, he was too surprised to react to her words, his eyes searching her face for something he had yet to know. But then, slowly, he grinned.

A sudden flash of lightening illuminated the room, and her eyes darted towards the window before returning to his face.

Reaching out to brush a lock of hair away from her face, his grin turned into a soft smile. "Your heart is racing," he whispered, lightly tracing a finger over her collarbone.

Anna didn't recoil. She simply rolled her eyes.

"You're still afraid," he remarked, gaze catching hers.

"I'm _bothered_," she stressed. "Not afraid, _bothered_."

He laughed quietly.

She rolled her eyes—this time, somewhat fondly. "You have everything you need in the guestroom," she said, before swiftly sidestepping him.

Her footsteps were silent as they climbed up the stairs, and all too soon, he found himself grinning. The perfume she had left behind enveloped him, invading his senses and intoxicating his brain. In a way, that was how everything started—how _they_ started.

And he wondered. For the first time, he wondered if he truly stood a chance. And for the first time, he felt ready to do more than hope—he felt ready to act.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. It sounds good, but something seems off to me. Maybe it's the time I've spent apart from this story, because I can't find anything truly wrong with it. Hopefully, I'll bounce back in shape soon! _

_Please review! I'd love to hear from you again!_


	19. Eighteen

_**A/N:** Getting back in shape, hell yeah! _

_Thank you for all your support!_

_Enjoy this update! :)_

* * *

><p>On the first day of school, Yoh was the one in charge of taking Hana home.<p>

As the little boy jumped into his awaiting arms, the brunet thought about how pleasant the feelings he evoked inside of him were—how attached he had grown to his presence in his life. Had he ever felt so complete? He could hardly remember.

Hana was beaming with pride due to the success his so-called essay had been. The essay that had been done in a matter of ten minutes; according to his mother's lovable sarcasm, the words had simply _flown_ after he had seen a couple of live tigers and wasted yet another day.

"You like animals?" he asked as he walked to where he had parked his car, his son still in his arms.

"Yeah," Hana answered. "And I really want a dog, but Mom says she doesn't have enough patience to take care of one."

Yoh barked a laugh—that was entirely like her. "Didn't you tell her you intended to take care of him?"

"Well, yeah, but then she said I could barely take care of myself and that we don't have enough space in our apartment."

"Hey, lighten up," Yoh laughed as he saw him grumble, "She said she's making you your favorite for lunch, didn't she?"

* * *

><p>As promised, she was in the kitchen when they arrived to the apartment, clad in high heels and the tightest short dress Yoh had ever seen. In reality, that was a lie; that was how most of her dresses were, and he was a witness to that.<p>

Hana ran to her side to greet her, and Yoh watched, with a fond smile on his face, how she bent down to kiss his cheek as he hugged her around the hips. Her hands were dirty, so she held them up until she ushered him upstairs and made her way to the sink to rinse them.

It was only when he could no longer hear his son's little footsteps thumping on the stairs that he approached her, leaning against the counter, beside her.

As expected, she ignored his presence.

He smiled. "So… I heard Hana wants a dog."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Typical," she said, drying her hands. "That's the one wish I've never granted him and he goes off telling everybody about it."

Yoh laughed. "Stubborn, huh?"

"Yes," she replied, testily, knowing perfectly well what he hinted at.

"Why don't you get a dog?" he pressed.

The look she sent him clearly asked him whether he was serious or plain-out dumb. "I'm not bringing a dog in a _penthouse_. And I'm not riding the elevator up and down all day long to take him out."

"Hana could do that," he offered.

"A six-year-old walking his dog, all alone, in downtown Tokyo." One hand on her hip, she looked at him blandly. "You're pretty smart, aren't you?"

He smiled. "Why not buy a house? If you have the money to buy a penthouse, you have the money to buy a house. And a Land Rover."

"Your son, as you may already know, spends more time alone than I am comfortable with. He's safe in a penthouse at the top of a building. He's not safe in a house, with a dog, by themselves. Enough said."

Yoh laughed. There was a moment of hesitation from his part, before he made his decision and spoke his mind. "Anyway, I was thinking…"

"About getting a dog," she finished for him, moving to the other end of the kitchen.

He grinned. "Partially," he admitted. "But I was also thinking about getting the two of you to move in with me before I got that dog."

Her answer was late, and when it came, it was a breathy whisper, "What?" Turning to face him, she looked at him as though he had grown another head.

Yoh, on the other hand, grinned in such a laid-back manner that he was sure that, had she been beside him, she would have slapped him.

"Yeah," he answered. "I mean, I know you want nothing to do with me anymore, but… Hana is my child, too, and I want to spend more time with him. I want him to have everything I can give him. What kind of father would I be if I didn't even get my son a dog? And still… I don't want to separate you two."

"Just as he can visit you, Hana can visit your dog," she replied.

"It's not the same, Anna," he told her, smiling gently.

Heaving a sigh, the blonde leaned against the counter. She didn't make a single step in his direction, but her gaze was locked with his—and it was as if she were right next to him. The brunet was actually surprised to see that she was actually giving the matter a second thought so soon.

She had changed, too—he was slowly realizing. She had matured, as imperceptible as that sometimes was, even more than him.

"Yoh, I… I understand that you have a big house and that you don't see us moving in with you as a big deal, but—"

"It _is_ a big deal," he argued. "That's why I'm suggesting it."

She swallowed. "Yoh…"

He straightened his posture. "Look, just think about it. I don't want to pressure you—or anything like that. But that house is big, and… it's for Hana."

"I still doubt that's an environment suited for a child," she said as she turned around, resuming her activities.

Yoh knew exactly what she meant. "They aren't there."

"No?" She raised her eyebrows and ignored the tinge of pain in his voice as she moved back to the sink. "I never thought I'd see the day you'd be without your friends."

The brunet shrugged. "I never thought I'd see the day I'd be without _you_."

That seemed to capture her interest, because suddenly, she was looking up at him, one hand on her hip, the other on the counter, her eyes holding a hardness he saw no reason to be there.

"Won't there be a woman to object to your ex-wife living in your house?" she nearly demanded, taking him by surprise.

He wasted no time in answering, though, with a gentle tone and a smile on his face. "Anna…" Huffing an amused breath, he shook his head. "For me, there will never be someone other than you. It's always been you, and it's always going to be you. It took me a while to realize this, and I'm not proud of it, but…"

"No human being can stay alone for so long," she told him, as factual as she was known to be. "Eventually, there _will_ be another woman."

"Will there be another man for you?" he challenged.

"I have Hana," she answered immediately.

"Smart," he observed, chuckling.

"Look, I know what you're trying to do. You have good intentions. But Hana is a child. You're going to give him a big house and buy him a dog and treat him like a little prince, and then the time will come for us to leave and to come back here. And I'm not sure how well he's going to take that."

"That time will _never_ come," he insisted. Three steps, and the distance between them was closed. "I'm going to be honest right now—perhaps more honest than I've been in six years, even with myself. I can come to terms with the idea of never kissing you again, but not with the idea of letting you out of my life."

He straightened then, and buried his hands into his pockets in the most casual of manners.

"Think about it, alright?" he suggested. "You don't have to answer now."

And with those parting words, he turned around, and left.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** I feel like I've been brewing this idea forever, haha! _

_Also, also! Sexy dress on my Flickr account. _

_Review, please! _


	20. Nineteen

_**A/N:** Now would be a good time for you to remember you miss the 'mother-and-son' scenes. Because, here they come!_

* * *

><p>Sneaking down the stairs with a stealth that could have rivaled even that of when he was acting against his punishments, he found her in the living room, the city lights spilling from the large, floor-to-ceiling windows his only guidance.<p>

She was curled up on the couch, dressed in a set of silk pajamas, a chilled glass of water in her hand. Her blonde hair was loose, falling over her back and shoulders in soft, natural waves.

Reaching the base of the stairs, Hana swallowed. His feet touched the hardwood floor, and his choice of making his presence known was ripped away from him.

"Hana?" his mother's voice resounded clearly through the silent room, and so did the inquisitive tone it was infused with. Placing the glass on the coffee table, she shifted to turn in his direction as he began to slowly make his way across the room, to her. "What's wrong?" she asked, lifting him into her arms and settling him onto her lap.

The boy remained silent throughout the entire process, avoiding meeting her gaze.

Anna brushed rebellious locks of hair away from his face. "Can't sleep?"

Hana shook his head.

"Why? Are you not feeling alright?" She checked his temperature and frowned at his continuing silence. Refusing to speak up when he was displeased was not like Hana, and if that wasn't the case, then what _was_ this situation about? "Are you excited?" she tried.

Once again, he shook his head.

"I thought you wanted to move with your father," she said, confused.

"I do, Mom," he answered. "That's not it."

"Then what is it?" she pressed.

This time, his response was immediate. "Do _you_ want this?"

For a moment, she was surprised. But then she realized that this was Hana, and she should have expected that, sooner or later, she would need to have this discussion with him.

"Was I not the one who proposed this to you?"

The boy gave her a pointed look. "I don't think it was your idea."

"No," she admitted. "But your father talked to me about it first. So if I didn't want this, I wouldn't have even mentioned the subject to you."

"Yes, you would have," he insisted, and there wasn't a hint of doubt in his voice. "You do a lot of things for me."

"Hana, I know perfectly well that you wouldn't be happy if I myself wasn't happy. I've known it all along."

"Then you're happy that we're moving in with Dad." It was more of an accusation than a conclusion.

Her answer was simple. "Maybe I am."

"That's unlikely," he pointed out.

"Why?"

He made a noise similar to a frustrated whine. "Because, Mom… You two separated for a reason. I know you get along now, but…"

Anna heaved a sigh. "Come here," she whispered, cradling him to her chest. "I know it can't be pleasing for you to hear this again, but there's still so much about life that you have yet to learn." Resting her chin over his head, she fought to control the raging emotions inside of her and the tears they stirred in her eyes. "Sometimes, Hana… sometimes the best thing you can do is to live the present. Without thinking of the past or the future or the possible consequences. That's what I'm about to do right now."

She pressed a kiss to his forehead, and straightened. "Come on, let's get you back in bed. You have school tomorrow."

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked as she rose, with him in her arms, gazing at her with large, worried eyes.

"I will be just fine," she answered firmly, but with a fond smile on her face. "You know why? Because I'm your _mother_."

Hana grinned, and knew every last letter of those words was true. But at the same time, he knew she did not entirely believe them.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**__ I know most of you were waiting for Anna to talk to Hana about his father's proposition—meaning, _that_ first talk—and I tried to incorporate that into the story, but it felt redundant. This felt much more significant—to me, at least. _

_Hope you feel the same way, but I'll be waiting for you to tell me! *hint, hint*_


	21. Twenty

_**A/N: **I should really spend some time writing chapters for my other stories, but it seems like all I do leads me back to this one, haha! So, here you go, another chapter! I suppose these quick updates will continue for another week or so… :D_

_Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, they make my day and make me want to write even more! _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>She was dressed casually when she waited for him in front of the school that day, in blue jeans, a simple white top, and a black jacket with sleeves that reached her elbows. There was a colorful scarf around her neck, a brown bag slung over her shoulder, and nude high-heels on her feet. She was wearing little make-up, less than usual, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail.<p>

"Hey," she greeted, bending down to press a kiss to his cheek. "How was school?"

"Boring," he groaned, his hand slipping into hers.

"That sounds lovely," she commanded.

Hana sent her a dry look. "It does, doesn't it?"

Anna smiled and tugged on his hand. "Come on, your father is waiting for us."

"Where?" he asked, surprised, as she began to pull him along.

"You'll see."

He frowned at her cryptic answer. "Where's your car? And why are you dressed like this?"

"I didn't have to go to the office today," she answered.

"Oh," he said. "Why?"

She smiled. "Because I had to survey a field," she answered. "Satisfied?"

"Yes," he declared, content. His mother always used company cars when she had to travel, but she never gave up her high-heels. "Where are we going?"

"You asked that question before," she reminded him.

"I know, but—"

"We're here," she interrupted him before he could begin his complaints, coming to a stop in front of a building not even a block away from his school.

Hana mimicked her movements, his eyes staring into the distance at the words printed on the front, while she watched, a smile slowly growing on her features, as realization dawned on him. When it finally did, he turned to face her, excitement already brewing in his eyes.

"We're getting a dog?" he exclaimed in awe, looking up at her with wide eyes and a grin on his face.

Anna smiled and picked him up, which seemed to be as good of an answer as any.

"No kidding?" he prodded.

She shook her head. "No kidding."

"And I can choose whatever I want?" he pressed.

She walked up the stairs that led to the entrance before placing him down on his feet. "Of course," she said, opening the door to allow him inside. "But I have a feeling your father might already have a suggestion."

True enough, Yoh was waiting for them inside, holding a brown cardboard box and sporting the same ridiculously happy grin.

Anna watched, amused, as Hana rushed to his side, nearly bouncing in his excitement. Shaking her head, she took a seat in her part of the room.

She was surprised when they approached her, but as her son clambered in her lap without another word, his continuous questions soon drowned the feeling.

Yoh set the box on the seat beside her, and it was only then that she caught her first glimpse of the infamous puppy. She nearly rolled her eyes, because his choice had never been more obvious—a golden Labrador. The animal was already energetic, wiggling his little tail and constantly placing his paws over the edge of the box, attempting to jump out.

"Does it get really big?" Hana asked, studying his new companion from where he had made himself comfortable in her arms.

"Yeah," his father responded from his crouched position in front of them.

This time, Anna did roll her eyes.

"Can I call him Spaceball?"

"You can call him however you want," he assured him, grinning.

Hana made his decision on the spot and prepared to thank his father, but right when his gaze returned to him, he looked up at his mother. Everything about him seemed to change in that moment. His eyes softened, his lips molding into what was more a loving smile than an amused grin.

He dared to glance at his mother, then, and almost had to do a double-take.

Hana had witnessed his mother smile before, but never like that. She had laughed with him on many, many occasions, and he had never gotten the impression that she was unhappy, but seeing her now, he realized that there was something inside of her mind and heart that had always hung over her, a painful sort of hindrance that had never allowed her to be fully and truly content.

Because now, when she smiled, her entire face lit up, and her eyes sparkled in a way they had never sparkled before.

Then he realized. He _had_ seen that look before—in the picture he had found so much time ago.

* * *

><p>Gazing out the window later that day, watching her son play in the garden, she found it difficult to contain her smile.<p>

She had been right. The puppy was a ball of energy, constantly barking, constantly wagging his tail, constantly jumping from place to place. Hana seemed to enjoy that, though.

Caught up in her own thoughts, she failed to notice his presence until he was right beside her.

"Hey," he greeted, his brown eyes soft, as he handed her a steaming mug of tea.

She whispered her gratitude, meeting his gaze for the briefest of moments, before her eyes returned to the scene unfolding behind the glass.

Hana appeared to be attempting to teach his new companion a couple of tricks and commands, but was failing miserably, dissolving into fits of laughter every time the small animal did the complete opposite of what he was asking of him.

From beside her, Yoh laughed. "Doesn't he look happy?" he asked, smiling.

Anna nearly rolled her eyes, and scoffed. "He _is_ happy," she answered.

She knew exactly when his eyes slid from their child to her own form, his gaze making her skin prickle even after so much time.

"Are you?" His voice was soft, unsure, hesitant—even wavering. It was as though he was afraid of her answer—or perhaps of his question.

She turned to face him then, confused, not knowing how to respond herself. Anna had grown comfortable around Yoh, but when their conversations began to even graze the surface of what had happened between them so many years before, she always felt an overwhelming urge to run—to run, away from him, and to never look back. She didn't want to relish the past.

"How does it feel to be back here?" he prodded. His eyes searched hers, chocolate pools of warmth and encouragement and feelings she _would not_ name, _would not_ admit they were there, and she felt safe and stable and _right_ for the first time in what seemed to be forever.

She swallowed. The words were out of her mouth before her mind could even begin to process them. "Like home," she whispered. "It feels like home."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** This last scene was quite the headache, to be honest, but I feel like I nailed it down in the end._

_Please review! _


	22. Twenty One

_**A/N:** Here comes another chapter, as promised! Enjoy!_

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><p>Anna frowned as the clutches of consciousness began to tug at the edges of her mind, slowly but surely dragging her away from the beautiful dream she was having. She was unable to tell what it was about, but she felt safe and loved and warm… and a pair of strong arms was holding her tight.<p>

Little by little, the warmth disappeared. The air she breathed in was cold, and so were the sheets against her skin. The entire bed belonged only to herself—the way it had been for years.

Squeezing her eyes shut against the pain that rippled without a reason through her body, frustration brimming at the edge of her system, she opened her eyes.

It was then when she realized where she was.

Pushing herself into a sitting position, she ignored the covers that slid down her front to pool around her waist. Swallowing, she attempted to suppress her reaction, to calm her frantically beating heart and dispose of the uncomfortable knot lodged in her throat. But before she could do that, before she could even tell what was happening, hot tears were slipping down her cheeks.

Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe. Suddenly, she was suffocating, drowning. The walls were closing in on her, the memories were swallowing her whole like an overpowering wave.

She needed to get out of there. She needed to get out of that house. That was the only thing that made sense to her at that point.

Pulling on some clothes, a pair of old jeans and an oversized sweater, she grabbed the car keys from the nightstand and stormed downstairs in as much silence as possible. The door slammed behind her as she slipped inside and the engine roared to life as she pushed the gas pedal to the floor, the tires screeching on the pavement in the silence of the night.

She drove mindlessly, to the point where she couldn't tell where she was anymore, or where she was heading. Eventually, she pulled over. Parking in a secluded area under the shade of the looming forest, she killed the engine, curled up on her seat, and let the tears fall.

Dealing with him, with living in his house, hurt more than she had ever imagined it would. It was her home, there was no denying that. It was the only home she had known in her entire life. It was there where almost all the important events in her life happened. It was there where she had seen her future unfold. It was that house that contained all of her memories, all of her wishes, all of her dreams—dreams that she had left behind that fateful day.

Being back was shredding her body, cutting her open and picking at the pieces of her heart that she had tried so hard to mend back together.

Her hand trembled as she tried to wipe the tears away, but it was useless. They continued to fall. Letting her head fall backwards, against the headrest, she closed her eyes.

She had made so many sacrifices for Hana… From the moment he was born, she had promised to love him, to protect him, and to give him everything she had never been given, everything she had never had the possibility to enjoy. She had raised him, she had spoiled him, she had educated him; she had laughed with him and smiled with him and nothing—absolutely _nothing_—had ever been missing from his life, because she was Anna Kyoyama, and she always kept her promises.

But this… this was tearing her apart. Even though seeing the way Hana looked at his father, with such adoration in his eyes, with such happiness written on his face, with such contentment in his demeanor, even though hearing them laugh together was like fulfilling a faraway dream she seemed to have had forever… it hurt. It hurt terribly. And what hurt even more was the fact that she knew—she _knew_—she could have avoided submitting herself to such torture. She could have avoided it simply by refusing to move in with him.

Hana wouldn't have known. The idea wouldn't have occurred to him. He would have been content with seeing his father as often or as rarely as their schedule allowed. She wouldn't have been hurting right now if she'd done that, and she should have, without a doubt, because Hana could never be happy when she herself wasn't happy. He was much too perceptive to remain immune to her feelings—and sometimes, she felt like she was the top priority in his life.

But Anna had known, from the very beginning, that little aspects, such as eating at the same table and breathing the same air, would make her happy. Even though her heart was breaking with that happiness.

It had always been like that with him. Little moments that mended her heart and pushed her forwards, towards another disappointment, another heartbreak.

Drawing in a shuddering breath, she wiped her tears away, and counted to ten before straightening and placing her now steady hands back on the steering wheel.

This was the path that she had chosen. And she had made sure it was the right one.

* * *

><p>From his spot in front of the window, Yoh watched as the familiar car pulled over in front of the house. The low, almost inaudible, purr of the engine stopped, and a couple of seconds later, the woman he had been expecting slipped out, blonde hair caught in a messy ponytail, face clear of make-up, and old clothes on her body making her seem even younger than she already was.<p>

When was the last time he had seen her so vulnerable?

Arms hugging her body against the cool night air, she entered the front yard, head bent down, one hand clutching the car keys. As a shuffle in the grass and a weak bark caught her attention, she stopped, a soft smile curling the corners of her lips upwards as she crouched down to receive the waddling puppy. Its tail flicking from side to side quickly, the Labrador jumped up with his paws on her knees, attempting to lick her face. Declining his offerings with a smile, she seemed content.

But Yoh knew better. He knew how to recognize the sadness in her eyes, the pain etched in her features. He knew where to look to see the tears that had fallen. But perhaps more importantly, he knew why he had woken up to the sound of her tires screeching on the pavement.

It was him. It was always him.

Placing his forearm on the wall beside the window, he heaved a sigh and bowed his head to rest his forehead against his skin. When he reopened his eyes to watch her continue on her path to the entrance of the house, they were glimmering with heart-wrenching pain.

What had happened to them?

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** I feel evil. Like, "hahaha, they were expecting them to be happy from now on!" Haha! But we will get to that, I promise! We just still have some way to go._

_Please review!_


	23. Twenty Two

_**A/N:** Thank you for your support! I love you all!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>One night, soon after they moved in, Anna found herself standing in the doorway of their old bedroom, watching Yoh as he threw a couple of clothes in an open suitcase. The sense of déjà-vu that washed over her was almost too much to bear for a moment, before she regained her composure and gathered her courage to speak.<p>

"Are you leaving?" Her voice was soft, yet at the same time, raspy.

Not having known that she was there, his head snapped up to look at her, surprise showing in his eyes. "Yeah," he answered at length. He looked back down. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," she said.

The subject was dropped, and Yoh threw another shirt in his suitcase.

She leaned against the door, fidgeting with her hands. He had been gone all day, but it would be a lie to say that she had been expecting this.

"How is Hana?" he asked.

"Sleeping," she answered, and then rolled her eyes as she added, "With the dog."

Yoh laughed lightly. "Don't be upset. He doesn't drool, doesn't have a lot of fur, and Hana loves him. You have no reason to be against this."

"Except for the fact that my son sleeps with a dog," she pointed out, arms crossed over her chest.

He smiled. His voice was soft when he answered. "Yeah," he said, watching her carefully—almost as though studying her features. "Except for that."

"When are you leaving?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Tonight," he answered simply.

Memories flooded her mind, and she suddenly remembered. This was what it was always like with him—receiving a phone-call and leaving in an instant, as though being constantly on-call.

She hesitated, shifting her weight to her other leg. "Do you… need anything?" she eventually offered.

"No, thanks. I'm good," he said, zipping his suitcase shut. "I'm going to say bye to Hana."

"Don't wake him up," she warned as he breezed past her.

"I won't," he assured her, voice considerably quieter as he neared the boy's room.

Opening the door, he stepped inside. Hana was fast asleep under the bed covers, blond hair spread messily over his face and pillow. Spaceball was lying beside him, though it was clear that Anna had not allowed him to slip underneath the duvet with her son.

As he cracked a smile, his ears perked up at the sound of his footsteps, and he began to wag his tail happily from side to side, his head lifting off his paws.

"Shh," Yoh motioned for him to remain silent, hand rubbing the space between his ears as soon as he took a seat on the bed, beside his son. "I have a favor to ask of you, buddy," he said. "I'll be gone for a while. I don't know for how long. So, I need you to take care of my family for me. I need you to take care of Hana—and especially of his mother. You hear me?" he questioned, staring into his eyes.

The dog gave a small whine and placed his head sideways on the mattress, looking up at him while his tail continued to wag playfully.

Yoh laughed silently. "You look like such an idiot," he said. "I hope you got the point, though." Heaving a sigh, he stood up. He placed a hand over Hana's head, fingers tangling in his unruly hair, and bent down to kiss his forehead, before straightening, and making his way out of the room as quietly as he had entered.

Anna was waiting for him outside, and he offered her a warm smile as he closed the door behind him.

"He didn't even stir," he announced. "But Spaceball promised me he would take care of both of you."

Anna huffed an amused breath, a small smile on her face as she shook her head.

Yoh grinned. "But seriously now," he said, approaching her. "Do take care of yourself."

"I will," she answered, looking up at him. "And you do the same."

He nodded, and opened his mouth to speak, but the low buzz of his cell-phone interrupted him.

"I suppose you need to leave," Anna concluded.

Yoh sighed. "Yeah," he said. "I'll—go get my bags—"

"When will you be back?" she asked before he could move an inch.

His eyes slowly trailed back to her figure. She was leaning against the railing, looking up at him with an unreadable expression written on her perfect features, emotions swirling in her amber eyes.

"Soon," he answered, without hesitation. "As soon as possible."

Because everything he had ever wanted—it was right there, in that house.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Better? Haha, I know you all wanted some fluff. I'm not sure this classifies as such, but it's definitely lighter material than the last chapter, ne?_

_Please review! _


	24. Twenty Three

_**A/N:** Not enough love? Here's some more, haha!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>"Mom?" the voice of her son broke through her thoughts, yet she refused to look up from the document she was reading.<p>

"Hmm?" she asked. From the corner of her eye, she noticed him climb on the chair beside her. "What is it, sweetie?"

"When will Daddy be home?"

His question caught her attention, and she raised her head to look at him.

It was almost incredible how easily Yoh had managed to win him over. It was barely a few months since they first met, and he already called him 'daddy'. And Hana was cautious. Hana was just like her. Hana knew not to trust anybody until they _earned_ that trust.

To some extent, it pained her. It pained her to know that he had grown so attached, that he was finally feeling as though he had a family, because she knew that was a dream she would soon have to shatter. The two of them couldn't stay there forever, and that knowledge hurt, because Hana did not understand it, and Yoh was not helping matters at all.

"Soon," she promised, turning her attention back to the papers in her hand.

"But where is he?" he pressed.

"Didn't he tell you?"

"I know where he is. Technically."

Anna smiled. "Technically," she repeated.

"Yeah," he answered. "I just don't know what he's doing there."

She looked up at him once more as she shook her head. "I don't know, either, precious."

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey."

"When you were his wife… did he also go away?"

Her throat constricted, and she struggled to swallow, to keep her voice even as she answered him. "Yes."

"And what did he do then?"

"I don't know."

Hana hesitated, before asking his question. "Is that why you broke up?"

His perceptiveness was painful sometimes, she realized.

"Partially," she answered, being deliberately vague. Shaking her head, she turned her gaze back to her reading material. "We had a lot of problems… I already told you."

Her words were met with silence, until a surprising declaration resounded through the room.

"I love you, Mom."

Her eyes were soft when they met his once more, and a small smile played on her lips.

"I love you, too, sweetie."

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><p>It was later that night that Yoh arrived home. But instead of being greeted by a silent, dark house, he was greeted by a loud bark, two paws on his thighs, and laughter coming from inside.<p>

"Hey," he laughed, patting his head, trying to tame his excitement, but to no avail. He had to practically _squeeze_ past him in order to enter the foyer.

The commotion at the door seemed to have alerted the other two persons in the house, because the moment he placed his suitcase on the floor, Hana came running at him, throwing himself into his arms. Another laugh escaped his lips as he caught him, lifting him up to hug him tightly.

"Been a good boy?" he asked as they pulled back, grinning at him.

Hana nodded enthusiastically in response.

"What?" Anna asked as she appeared in his line of sight, an incredulous smile on her face. "Are you serious?"

She was dressed in a dark-green shirt and tight, black pants, but she was barefoot; her blonde hair was up in a sloppy ponytail and she was barely wearing any make-up, but she had never looked more beautiful to him than she did in that very moment.

Hana laughed, tucking his head beneath his chin and pressing his cheek against his chest.

"Hana, you are such…" She stopped, laughing, and shook her head.

"What did you do?" Yoh asked, frowning down amusedly at his son.

It was Anna who answered him. "He ate all the cookies—all of them. Again!"

In response, the boy laughed once more.

Yoh grinned. "Well, he can eat all the cookies from time to time."

"Yeah?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Well, you put him to bed now. Because he should have been asleep ages ago!"

"I love you, Mom," Hana laughed yet again.

"You know, I've been hearing a lot of those declarations lately," she said, hands on her hips.

"I wonder why," the brunet joked.

"Yeah, me too," she agreed.

"Well, it _is_ about time you went to sleep," he said, pointedly looking down at his still grinning son. "So, take Space with you and go upstairs. I'll be there in a minute."

There was no sound of protest from the boy as his father set him down on his feet. He simply turned, left the room, and headed for the stairs, the dog trailing obediently behind him.

Anna shook her head as she watched him comply so easily.

"Everything alright?" she asked, turning her attention back to the man standing in front of her.

"Yeah," he answered in that careless manner that had always characterized him.

She resisted the urge to shake her head as she absentmindedly reached out to straighten his rumpled shirt.

"Just don't touch me there," he suddenly said, clasping her hand to his chest and ripping a gasp from her throat.

Anna looked alarmed. "Why?" she demanded.

Yoh grinned, his hold relaxing. "Nothing."

"You are such—" she started, annoyed, but then stopped. Her hand was still in his warm hold, and she could feel his heart beating.

"Thank you for caring," he whispered. He kissed her hand, and then released it altogether, only to brush past her and disappear up the stairs, following in his son's footsteps.

She remained there for a long moment, staring at the place his figure had once occupied. Her hand held close to her chest, she heaved a sigh.

"It's effortless," she whispered into the darkness.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** The bad news? This might be it for fast updates. I want to focus on my other stories, too, and I will force myself to do that! The wait won't be monumental, though, I'm sure._

_Please review!_


	25. Twenty Four

_**A/N:** I have a feeling you will like this chapter! *wink, wink*_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>"Hana!" her shout resounded through the house, and was instantly met with laughter.<p>

Resisting the urge to groan out loud, the blonde made one last swipe of lipstick before hurriedly exiting her room and heading down the hallway. She came to stand in another doorway in a matter of seconds, only to see her son comfortably seated in the middle of his bedroom, grinning up in her direction.

"Hana!" she groaned. "I asked you _nicely_ to go to sleep!"

"I know, but you're leaving!" he whined, clearly well-entertained.

"Hana, how old are you?" Anna asked, incredulous. Although he had his moments of rebellion, since he hosted a lot of energy and happened to find her reactions particularly amusing, they were few and far in between—and almost always caught her in the worst of times. "This isn't the first time you've been alone. What is _wrong_ with you?"

He responded with another laugh.

"Come on," she insisted. Entering the room, she picked him up and promptly deposited him on the bed. This time, the boy complied, allowing her to pull the covers over him, tucking him in. "Now, I want you to stay here," she emphasized. "I want you to sleep. I mean it."

He gave a nod in response, and she gave him an unconvinced look, but she kissed his forehead, regardless. Then she straightened and made her way out of the room, skillfully avoiding the not so small anymore puppy seeking for attention.

Once she turned out the lights and closed the door behind her, she heaved a sigh. This would have been a _perfect_ end to a hectic day, but it wasn't over yet. Rushing to her room to retrieve her phone, she stormed back down the hallway and down the stairs. She couldn't wait until she could finally slip underneath the covers of her bed and close her eyes.

The front door opened before she hit the landing on the first floor, sending sweet relief through her veins.

It was only a matter of moments before she came face to face with Yoh.

"Take care of Hana," she instructed in a rush. "Make sure he really does go to sleep."

The brunet blinked. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. She pushed past him without a single intention of repeating herself, and it was only then that he had the chance to see what she was wearing: a simple blue dress with long sleeves and a v-neckline. It was short, perhaps shorter than he was used to seeing on her, but it was looser on her body. But there was something about the midnight-blue color that complemented her skin so perfectly and the shoes that did so many wonders to her legs… something that made the outfit more beautiful than anything he had ever seen her wearing.

Before his mind could even fully register the action, he had grabbed her upper arm and halted her movements.

Anna turned to face him, straight blonde hair flying around her face to rest on her shoulders. Her eyes, darkened by make-up, looked down at his hand first, before they met his own, wide with surprise.

A frown on his features, he took another look at her. "Where are you going?"

"Out," she replied, and he could feel the small effort she put into freeing herself from his grip. "To dinner."

"What?" he very nearly yelled. "You have a date?"

Her brows furrowed as his grip suddenly grew tighter. "Yes! So I can tell my newly-found soul-mate how I live with my ex-husband." She threw him a flat look, before yanking her arm free and snapping, "Some of us have work!"

"You're—"

"Late," she completed. "That's what I am."

Turning around to leave, she was stopped once again.

"I'll take you," he proclaimed, preparing to follow her.

Her firm answer deterred him. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I am perfectly capable of driving myself around."

"But you can't drink if you drive yourself there," he retorted.

For a moment, Anna seemed taken aback by his insistence. "Well then, I won't drink."

"Tch, it's impolite to refuse a glass of wine."

She was stunned. But most importantly, she was torn between the desire to either laugh or slap him. "Wow, hello diplomacy," she mocked. Then she rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, Yoh."

All he could do was let out a frustrated groan as the door closed behind her.

* * *

><p>The lights were out and the house was silent when she came home late that night. She was careful as she closed and locked the door behind her, doubting that Hana or Yoh were awake and not wanting to bother them.<p>

Her conviction lasted until she exited the foyer and almost ran headfirst into the bare chest of her ex-husband.

Taking a step back to avoid crashing into him, she gazed up with surprise clearly written over her face. Then her eyes narrowed. "You've been waiting," she accused.

He was quick to deny. "No, I…" He pointed behind him to the kitchen. "…was thirsty."

Raising an eyebrow, she remained unconvinced. But she decided to give him the benefit of doubt after a moment spent in contemplation, and tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear as she moved past him to advance into the house.

"So…" His voice stopped her. "You refused that glass of wine?"

She rolled her eyes before she turned around to face him. "You would be happy to find out I wasn't offered one."

"You have no idea how fortunate that was," Yoh insisted.

Anna huffed an amused breath at the ridiculousness of it all. "I'm going to bed," she announced. "Did Hana…?"

"Go to sleep when you told him to?" he guessed. "No. But that's my fault. I asked him to tell me more about that Daisuke boss of yours."

At that moment, she didn't know whether to be amused, pleased, annoyed, or devastated, so she swallowed, and resumed at answered with a simple, "Get a life, Yoh." Turning around, she began to make her way upstairs. She was about halfway through when her steps faltered, and she hesitated.

Her voice was soft as she spoke her last words of the day. "Daisuke wasn't even there, by the way. So that you can, you know, finally sleep."

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><p><em><strong>AN:** You know where to find the outfit and make-up._

_Please review!_


	26. Twenty Five

_**A/N: **Well, this took me long enough. Sorry! I found it a bit hard to focus, but I'm back on track now!_

_(To clear up any possible misunderstandings: Anna did go out to dinner, but it was entirely work-related.)_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>She was in the midst of looking over a document when there was a knock on her door. She beckoned whoever was on the other side in without looking up, her attention fixed on the small print before her eyes.<p>

"Anna." Her name was called and she raised her head to see one of her colleagues sticking her head inside her office. "There's someone here who wants to see you. It seems urgent."

The blonde frowned as she closed the file in her hands and placed it on her desk, standing up. "What now?" she muttered as she crossed the room, running a hand over her forehead.

Closing the door behind her, she noticed him immediately, leaning against the wall in the hallway. Her heart in her throat, she hardly refrained herself from running over to him.

"Yoh!" she greeted, eyes wide and breathing slightly agitated as she looked up at him worriedly. "What happened?" Millions of scenarios formed inside her head, and naturally, most of them focused around Hana.

"Nothing." Smoothing a hand over her blonde locks, he seemed able to read her mind as he soothed her. "Hana's fine."

"Then what are you doing here?" she asked. For a long moment, she was confused. Then she narrowed her eyes at him, waving her index finger to lecture him. "Yoh, if this is about—"

"No," he laughed, grasping her hand with his. "It's not about that. I came here because… Can you pick Hana up from school? I know we've established that I would, but—"

"Of course I can," she said, frowning. Why had he come all the way to her office to tell her that? "Is everything alright?"

He seemed to hesitate in giving her an answer. "I have something to do."

Anna furrowed her brows, but nodded. "Go ahead."

"I'll see you at home," he announced, before kissing her knuckles and leaving.

The blonde heaved a sigh as she turned around, running a hand through her hair. A scare was the last thing she had needed that morning, and so was food for thought from Yoh.

Daisuke was waiting for her at the entrance of her office when she returned, and she forced a small smile to her face in greeting.

"Have something for me?" he inquired, and she nodded.

"Of course," she said, opening the door to enter the room. She was making her way to her desk to retrieve her work when he spoke, little after she heard the door closing behind them.

"You live with him now." It wasn't a question. It was a statement, and Anna knew exactly what he was talking about.

Swallowing, she tried to keep her voice as cool as possible as she answered. "Yes." She didn't mind having people know of her decision, because she was sure it had been the right one, but it was certainly an unusual situation—and that made her susceptible to judgment and criticism that she simply did not need at this stage in her life.

Flipping through the files stacked on her desk, she wasn't surprised to see his hands on the wooden surface, nor was she surprised to hear his question.

"Why, Anna?"

Her gaze never lifted. "For Hana."

"But… Anna, if you want nothing to do with him…"

"I want nothing to do with him, yes. What was once between us is now over," she agreed. Having finally found the file she was searching for, she pulled it out and set it in front of her. Then her head rose to look at him in the eye. "But Daisuke, there can be nothing between us, either."

"Why not?" He seemed to challenge.

She was silent.

A moment later, he reached his own conclusion. "You still love him, don't you?"

Daisuke had never intended to witness the scene that he had when he walked out of his office, but he had, and there was no going back now.

Anna was a woman that was entirely dedicated to her child, and that was something that had been clear to him since day one; nothing that she did received even the smallest part of the love and attention a single word addressed to Hana did. So when he saw her with another man, he instantly knew perfectly well who he was.

It would be a lie to claim he didn't see him as competition, because he did—he had from the very beginning, even when he didn't have a face to associate to his rival's name. But as he watched them, he couldn't help but wonder why he even felt that way, in the first place. It was foolish. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her, the way his lips formed her name… there was no doubt in the world for any onlooker that this man would never hurt the woman in front of him.

Then Daisuke realized why exactly Yoh was so sure of himself. It was in the way she received his touch, the way she looked up at him, the expression on her face when he turned to leave.

"I never stopped," she whispered. "And I wanted to deny it… but I don't see the point anymore." It was the most honest Anna had ever been with him.

"That's never going to change, is it?" he questioned softly.

"If it hasn't in eighteen years, I doubt it ever will," she answered. Her expression was wistful for a moment, before she sobered up and picked up the file on her desk. "In any case, I have the sketches that you wanted…"

* * *

><p>Yoh never came home that night, leaving Anna to take care of their son.<p>

Hana was, of course, restless. He had calmed down by the following day, but that was after she had nearly collapsed in her bed with exhaustion the night before. Hana was a smart child, smarter than the most of them; he had her intelligence, that was clear, and maybe the way she had raised him had had an influence, as well. The fact of the matter was, the things that made sense to him were easy for him to assimilate. Those that did not, on the other hand, could only mean additional stress for Anna.

"What your father does… There's a lot of responsibility resting on his shoulders. Situations like these happen. Things don't always work as planned. He can't always keep his promises."

Those were the words that calmed him. Those were the words that calmed _her_.

When he finally arrived home late that night, Yoh was upset. Both Anna and Hana could feel the tense atmosphere as he talked on the phone in the other room, even when they couldn't understand what he was saying.

The blonde took her son upstairs and tucked him in with yet another reassurance.

Then she slowly made her way downstairs to clean up the mess left from their dinner, her mind delving in memories she wished would have never existed.

Life had never been easy for them. Not when he was training to be Shaman King, and certainly not when he had already achieved his goal.

He was stressed, she knew. There was a lot of pressure put on him; there were expectations to meet and there were situations that were hard to manage. She knew that. Unfortunately, she didn't know it because he chose to tell her, but because she figured it out on her own.

Yoh kept to himself, which was unusual, but not to a high degree. Although the brunet had always been open with his feelings, much more open than she had ever been and could ever hope to be, he also had the tendency to mind his business when it came to doing things. He had his own way of dealing with whatever challenge he was presented with, he had been handling himself ever since he was a young child and he had never needed anyone's advice or opinion. Anna knew and she understood that, because the same went for her.

But seeing him so tired and so stressed without an explanation soon became a horrible thing to witness. She started to feel as though not only was he pulling away from her, but he was going out of his way to hide things from her—shutting her out completely.

She had a right to be upset, and she soon began to _demand_ explanations, demand to know why he was never there, and when he was, he was pushing her away.

Looking back, she could see that perhaps the situation wasn't entirely like that. Yoh was busy, and he certainly led a stressful life. Coming home, he expected peace and quiet. Of course that when she started to yell at him, he wanted to put as much distance between them as possible.

As time passed by, they were almost always angry with one another. They didn't even need a reason anymore; they were remorseful for things that were said and never meant, for feelings and emotions that were never once evoked in something other than their own scenarios. Anna had no way of knowing how that affected him, but it broke her.

Pausing in her action of wiping the counter clean, she let out a long, even breath. She really didn't want to approach him and risk a fight with their son in the house and possibly still awake. They were getting along well, there was no doubt about that; not a single glare had passed between them in months. But then again, they had yet to face such a situation.

Still, her heart was clenching painfully in her chest—and it was not because of anxiety, but because of worry. What if he needed her? True enough, he had never needed her before, but… She swallowed. What if he did now?

Throwing the rag to the side, Anna decided there was only one way out. She started towards the living room. After all, if the situation proved more than she could—and should—handle, she could always leave or she could always remind him of his child; Yoh loved Hana too much not to care.

When she entered the room, he was sitting on the couch, running his hands through his hair in what she recognized to be a frustrated gesture.

Her heart was beating a hundred miles per minute as she tried her hardest to gather her bearings, calling out his name.

His body tensed.

She approached him and kneeled down before him—and asked the question she should have asked all those years ago, but never did.

"Are you alright?"

His head snapped up to look at her, surprise showing clearly in his eyes.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then—slowly, hesitantly—his hand came to covers hers where it rested on his knee.

She never knew what happened after that, because the next moment, she was on his lap, and he was hugging her fiercely, his face buried in the crook of her neck, arms wrapped tightly around her middle. She didn't demand to hear what had happened, because that had been her mistake from the very beginning and because, in all honesty, she didn't _care_. The fact that he was there, seeking comfort in her arms, was enough.

And, she realized as she struggled to control her tears and the tremors that shook her body by hugging him tighter around the neck—maybe it would have been enough all those years ago, too.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** So, that was basically the reason why they separated. There are going to be references and maybe a couple of other details revealed in future chapters, but this is the gist of it. _

_Please review! :)_


	27. Twenty Six

_**A/N: **A lighter chapter after a more emotional one. This is actually the first part of a scene that I had to break down because it made more sense that way. The next part will be up in a couple of days, two at most, I think._

_Thank you all for your support!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>Despite being in his office that day, Yoh heard clearly when they came home. The door opened and closed, and heels clicked on the hardwood floors, bringing an argument along.<p>

"Mom—"

"No, Hana."

"But, Mom—"

"I said no!"

"But…"

"Hana, how many times do we have to go over this until you understand? You're not going anywhere. You're six! You've just earned the right to go out and play without being supervised! And you know what? That's only because you have the garden all to yourself!"

"You're too protective."

With a grin on his face, the brunet stood up from his seat and made his way out of the room, slowly heading towards the living room, where the argument seemed to be taking place.

"Excuse me? Repeat that."

"Um…"

"I didn't catch that."

"Yes, you did."

"Okay. So, if I did, why are you afraid to repeat it?"

"Because you'll flip out."

"I'll flip out. That means you've said something wrong—and you _know_ it."

"Okay, okay," Yoh laughed, finally interfering. "What's going on in here?"

"Come on," the blonde encouraged, crossing her arms over her chest. "Tell your father what's going on. Let's see if he backs you up on this."

The boy mimicked her stubbornly. "There's a trip at school and she won't let me go."

Yoh blinked, slowly sliding into a crouched position next to his son. Was that what the whole match was about? "Why not?" he asked, looking up at her.

She was dressed in a slate grey wrap dress and tall heels, her blonde hair tumbling over her back and shoulders in soft waves.

She rolled her eyes. "Because he's six, alright? That's way too young to be going anywhere without his mother. Actually, that's way too young to be even _thinking_ of going anywhere without me!"

Yoh frowned. "I think six is a pretty acceptable age to—"

"Shut up," she commanded, immediately turning the tables in her favor.

"See?!" Hana exclaimed. "He understands!"

"Well, I'm glad he does," she replied. "Maybe he can cook you dinner tonight."

The boy sighed.

Yoh coughed a laugh.

"Mom, it's not like we're going to be by ourselves!"

Anna raised her eyebrows. "No?" she asked.

Blinded by excitement, Hana failed to notice she was merely feigning her surprise. "No! Miss Sakura is coming with us!"

"Well, that changes _everything_!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"It does?" both father and son spoke in unison, surprised, yet nonetheless pleased.

"_Of course_ it does!" she answered. "Why didn't you say so from the very beginning? After all, Miss Sakura is like a second mother to you. You listen to her better than you listen to me. You _love_ Miss Sakura!"

Both Hana's and Yoh's faces fell upon hearing her speech. The latter recovered more quickly, though, beginning to laugh.

Anna took that as her cue to drop the façade, and with a roll of her eyes, she turned to exit the room.

"Hey, how about we make a deal?" the brunet asked, stopping her.

She turned around to face him with her hands on her hips and an unimpressed expression on her face. "A deal," she repeated.

"Yes," he said. "Hana will do something to prove to you that he is worthy of your trust."

"Is that so?" she drawled, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Something like—cook you dinner."

"Sure!" She smiled sarcastically. "Are you ready to have your house set on fire?"

"I will help him."

She would normally ask, "And what would that prove?" but that would be useless in such circumstances, because the truth was, the house would burn down with or without Yoh's aid.

"So, the catch is… you two make me dinner—_edible_ dinner," she specified, "And in exchange, I allow Hana to go on that trip."

"Yes," they both said at once.

She barked a laugh. "In your dreams," she scoffed. Her phone beeped in her bag then, and she took if out, checking the screen with a mere glance. "But," she added, "You two can still make me dinner. I have matters to attend to, anyway."

"Where are you going?" Hana asked as she brushed past him, bag on her shoulder, phone still cradled in her hand. "Didn't you finish work?"

"Get a life," she said, poking his forehead adoringly.

Hana grinned.

* * *

><p>When she returned home later that evening, Anna was prevented from entering the kitchen by both of her boys.<p>

"We've been thinking," Yoh declared.

Hana nodded from his arms.

Anna raised an eyebrow, amused. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Hana said.

"And we've come to the conclusion that it would be better for all of us if we just ate out," Yoh finished.

At that point, she wasn't able to stop the smile that spread on her features, nor the small laugh that tumbled past her lips. "Can I see…?" She made a move to push past the brunet, but he blocked her path. She raised an eyebrow. "Do I _want_ to see?"

He laughed. "No," he said. Putting his son down, he placed his hands on her shoulders, turned her around, and began to lead her down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Dinner," he replied simply. "No need to change, we—"

"Dad promised to take me to McDonald's."

"If you did what?" she countered. "Not tell me you burned down the kitchen?"

"We did no such thing," Yoh defended. "And besides, I promised him because I promised him. No catch."

"What?!"

"Leave this," he said, unceremoniously extracting her phone from her hands and throwing it on a small table near the entrance. "You won't need it."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Review, please!_


	28. Twenty Seven

_**A/N: **Quick update, as promised! Now, hasn't this been a productive summer? Haha! It sure was compared to my others!_

_Thank you for all your support!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>"Who comes to McDonald's and orders a salad?" Hana complained. "I mean, really?"<p>

"Your mother," Anna answered with ease.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well—"

"Because she finds the idea of clogging down her arteries at this age quite repulsing," she added.

"At _this_ age?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm still young, you know?" she drawled, taking another bite of her menu of choice. "Even though I have you."

Hana laughed. "I know. You're younger than other mothers out there."

"I may be."

"Which is why, _technically_," he stressed, "you should understand me and agree to send me on that trip!"

"Technically," she responded, unfazed.

"Mom!" Hana whined, slouching down in his seat.

Anna rolled her eyes.

Yoh laughed as he continued to watch them.

"Hana, no," she said in a firm tone. "Okay? You're too young. I'm not going to be there. What if something happens?"

"You're so overprotective!" the brunet laughed, reaching over the table to grasp one of her hands. "It's so cute, I swear!"

"I'm not overprotective!" she defended. "I just care about him!"

"Of course you do, Anna," he answered, smiling. "But he's a big boy. And just like all the other kids his age, he's going to be just fine."

Her eyes softened, and for a moment, she truly considered his words, but then she saw him wink at Hana, and she rolled her eyes, snatching her hand from his grasp.

"You two are trying to work behind my back," she accused, eyes narrowed as she gestured between them. "You think he can help you. But he's not going to, because I'm not going to let him."

Hana's mouth dropped open. "But, Mom—"

"Shut up and eat," she commanded.

While his son pouted and sunk his head into his shoulders, Yoh maintained both his grin and his carefree expression, winking yet again in his direction.

* * *

><p>He came to stand in her doorway after tucking Hana in that night. The door was wide open, giving him a perfect view of her as she sat on the bed and fiddled with the strap on her shoe. He knocked, either way.<p>

Her silky blonde hair slid over her shoulders and around her face as she straightened to meet his gaze.

"We need to talk," he announced.

Anna rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you—and your son—that he is _not_ going on that trip?" she said, clearly upset, as she stood and stormed across the room, to her closet.

Yoh straightened his posture, watching her as she yanked the door open with barely concealed annoyance. "Anna, he—"

"Look," she snapped, turning around to face him. "You will _never_ understand. So don't waste your energy. Go to bed. Or leave. Just go!"

"You're right," he answered in a forceful tone. "I'll never understand if you don't explain it to me."

For a moment, she was silent. And then, placing her hands over her hips, she seemed to take his firm response as a challenge. "Hana is all I have," she said simply, amber eyes hard as they watched him. "You have no idea how much my life changed when he was born and I held him in my arms for the first time. He filled up a hole I hadn't even known was there." She paused, licking her lips and taking in a shaky breath that he knew he hadn't been meant to see. "I don't know about you and I don't _care_ about you—but I don't want to fail."

Slipping her heels from her feet, she tossed them inside the closet before closing the door. She turned around with every intention to walk across the room and lock herself in the attached bathroom, but Yoh was already making his way towards her, so she was forced to stop.

"Anna…" he murmured.

"You know what my parents did to me," she continued her explanation. "What you don't know is how much it hurt—how much it _still_ hurts. And I don't want Hana to feel that—ever. I would rather have him say I'm overprotective and hate me and remember, for the rest of his life, that I didn't let him go on a trip with his classmates when he was six."

"Honey…" he whispered, and the old nickname went unnoticed as she hurried to interrupt him once again.

"I'm scared, okay?" she said, her palms turning upwards as if it was a fact of no importance. "I'm scared that, someday, something or someone is going to take him away from me. And I won't be able to stand that. Are you happy now?"

"Nothing's taking Hana away from you," he told her, grasping her upper arm in order to keep her in place as she brushed past him.

"No?" she challenged. Her glassy eyes seemed to accuse him—and her next words sent a painful pang through his heart. "Because that's exactly what I thought about you. Everything could have happened. The entire world could have been turned upside down. But you would have remained there, by my side. I'm not taking chances anymore."

"You didn't lose me," he soothed, cradling her face into his hands as he slowly brought her closer. "I… I'm the one who made too many mistakes, who didn't know how to appreciate you."

Anna shook her head. "I have part of the fault, too," she said. Her words were firm, resigned—so unlike his own, agitated sentences.

Yoh swallowed hard as his gaze relentlessly searched hers, and his hands trembled as they glided gently over her blonde hair. "That's the problem," he whispered. "You don't."

The words seemed to break her, and she looked down, suddenly unable to maintain eye-contact. "I gave up," she whispered after a long silence. "I shouldn't have. I should have stuck by your side like I promised before God… like I promised you."

"No," he hastened to say, taking a step even closer. His fingers slipped into the soft hair at the nape of her neck, aiding him in coaxing her to meet his eyes once more. "You did the right thing. Who knows where we would have been now if you hadn't opened my eyes like you did?"

"There were so many questions," she confessed quietly, "and so few answers. I could have gone crazy."

"But Hana…"

"He solved everything. He made me pull myself together. Once I found out I was pregnant, there was no other option."

"You're a wonderful mother," he told her, and titled her chin up when she attempted to avert her tear-filled eyes. "It's alright to be scared. It's normal."

"Is it?" she whispered insecurely.

He nodded. "Yes."

She exhaled shakily.

His hands moved to her shoulders as he continued to steadily gaze down into her eyes. "This will make him happy."

"I know. I just…" Turning around, she severed their connection, moving towards the window. "He was always within my sight before. And when he wasn't, I knew he was inside my apartment, safe and sound."

"Anna…" Murmuring her name, he closed the distance between them; his hand came to rest over her lower back, where he gently stroked the soft material of her dress, her blonde hair tickling his fingers. "Hana could never feel the pain you did. His mother _loves_ him."

Arms hugging her protectively around the middle, she looked down, giving no indication whatsoever that she had heard him.

Yoh sighed. "Come here," he said, coaxing her into his embrace.

It took a second for her to relax, but then his hand slid through her hair, and she practically melted into him, her small arms wrapping around his waist and her head coming to rest on his chest.

"Everything is going to be alright. You've done an amazing job until now. And now you have me by your side, too. You're not going to fail."

There was no verbal response from her part, but the way her embrace tightened and her head shifted to bury itself in the crook of his neck told him everything he needed to know.

"It's okay…" he whispered in her ear, hands running soothing circles over her back, nose buried in her fragrant hair.

After so much time, he had forgotten how small and frail she felt in his arms. He had forgotten how insecure she actually was beneath her façade, how easily everything could affect her and make life overwhelming. She never showed it. She fell, but she never lingered; she got up and went on, every single time. But that didn't mean it was an easy process.

And if there was one thing in the world that Asakura Yoh loathed with every fiber of his being, that was seeing the woman he loved upset.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** I almost didn't make it with that last scene, haha!  
><em>

_Please review! _


	29. Twenty Eight

_**A/N:** I apologize for the long wait! I've been a bit messy lately, though it's hard to tell why. Oh, well. Here it is!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>"No!" the word resounded clearly through the light, early morning fog. The private section of the airport was silent, and Yoh was grinning as he dragged Anna towards the plane.<p>

Only minutes prior, they had taken Hana to school. Anna had ultimately decided to allow him to go on that trip, but Yoh could see that she was not at all comfortable with the decision and that the only reason why she had made it was because she had realized how much Hana actually wanted it. Perhaps their talk had had a certain influence, but the brunet was not naïve enough to think he had made her change her mind; he had made her _consider_ the idea. But this was not about her trying to prove him anything—this was about her trying to do the best for their child.

That was how he had figured that, just as Hana deserved to have a weekend with his friends, his mother deserved a couple of days of peace and quiet, as well. But more than that, he knew she would work herself into a ball of nerves if he didn't at least _attempt_ to distract her.

Though, truth to be told, he was surprised by how much resistance she could put up in her heels.

"This is _insane_!" he heard her exclaim. "We're not children anymore! What if something happens to Hana and I'm not there?"

Giving a hard tug on her hand once they had reached the airplane, he sent her stumbling forward. "Hana will be fine," he assured her. "Every spirit in Tokyo is looking after him."

"I—" The stubbornness in her eyes hadn't quelled the slightest bit, so he didn't allow her to finish her sentence.

"Come on," he encouraged, gesturing towards the plane.

Anna glared and crossed her arms over her chest. "No. I'm not getting on that plane. I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm going _home_. And if you continue to annoy me, I'm going to my apartment."

She made a move to leave then, but he grabbed her upper arm and held her in place with no effort at all.

"What do you have to lose?" he asked in an almost exasperated tone. Almost, but not quite, because he had expected her reaction.

"Precious time." Her answer was clipped.

"Fine," he said, shifting so that he was fully facing her, but not letting go of her arm. "We'll do it your way. I know you're stubborn, so we can be here all day—and well into the night, at that. I'm sure you know I'm stubborn, too. But the difference between us is that I have much more patience."

The eye-contact lasted for a little over another minute. Then, with a clearly annoyed huff, Anna yanked her arm from his grasp and moved past him, into the plane.

Yoh could only grin triumphantly.

* * *

><p>"What is this place?" Anna asked as she slowly advanced inside the room, jacket draped over her hands, eyes glued to the large, floor-to-ceiling windows. The view was gorgeous, towards a pristine beach and endless ocean, and the air was definitely warmer than in Tokyo, but she remained unable to tell where he had brought her.<p>

"A hotel room," he answered.

Turning around, she sent him a bland look.

He pretended not to notice and tried to hide his amusement. "We're going out tonight," he declared. "I bought you something to wear. It's in the bedroom."

Anna frowned in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "Why in the world would you buy me something to wear?"

Yoh grinned, buried his hands into his pockets, and rocked back on his heels. "Because explaining to you what you would need to wear would give you time to clue yourself in on what type of place we're dining at."

Her eyes narrowed. "Where are we?" she demanded.

"Why do you want to know that?" he challenged. "So you can calculate the distance away from Hana?"

She glared.

He laughed. "Not going to tell you," he announced. "And I have your phone in case you decide to be a smartass."

Eyes widening, it was clear for a second that she was unsure whether to slap or yell at him. She seemed to decide on neither of those and headed for a more diplomatic approach as she slowly began to close the distance between them. "Yoh, I need that phone," she said, voice calm.

He shook his head. "No, you don't. What you need to do is put on that dress and come with me."

"But—"

"The shoes I took from your closet," he interrupted. "I hope you don't mind."

"You roamed my closet?!" she almost yelled, amber eyes firing up.

"It was necessary, how was I supposed to shop for shoes?" he defended, raising his hands in the air. "I mean, a dress I can handle, but—"

"Get out!" she screamed, and as he backed up laughing, she seriously contemplated the idea of following him, just to punch him in the face.

After taking a moment to calm down, Anna turned back around and headed for the bedroom, where Yoh had claimed to leave his 'present'. She was annoyed, there was no denying that, but there was nothing she could do to change the situation now.

As expected, two boxes waited for her on the bed. One, she could already recognize, so she decided to ignore it in favor of the unknown, larger one.

She heaved a sigh as she laid her jacket down, beside it, before opening the lid. She parted the colorful wrapping paper, and her eyes widened. A gasp escaped her lips, unbidden.

It was everything she had imagined and yet nothing at the same time. There was no fancy glitter, no tulle, no sequins, no expensive satin. It was simple, it was short, and a color other than black, but that was all that her mind could come up with in order to aid her in describing the piece of clothing.

It was exactly something that Yoh would have liked to see on her all those years back, she realized. There was nothing about the dress that made anything about her stand out, and yet everything would be outlined. There was nothing extremely flashy or extremely glamorous. It was a simple dress that would flatter _her_.

Because Yoh had never cared about clothes. He had never cared about high-heels or make-up. All he had ever cared about—all he had ever wanted… had been her. Anna.

A shuddering breath left her lips as the dress fell back into the box.

Yoh had been the only person in the world to know every inch of her, and still love her in spite of it.

Sometimes, she wondered how much more she could take—how much more she could fight with his memory when she found it at each and every step she took.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** I'm not entirely pleased with how this turned out; the first part has and is killing me, but I have no idea what's wrong. After fiddling with it for three whole days, though, I decided it was time to post it. _

_In any case, the next chapter will contain more action… *wink, wink*  
><em>

_On a different note, I have set up a poll on my profile! It's about me trying to find out which two stories I should focus on in my free time (meaning, when I'm not writing for anything that I've already posted). If you want, go vote for your favorite one!_

_Review, please! :)_


	30. Twenty Nine

_**A/N:** Thank you for your support, and enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

><p>She held onto his hand as he led her through his restaurant of choice, her eyes roaming to take in their surroundings. Yoh still refused to divulge their location, and with no clue whatsoever, Anna remained in the dark. What she <em>had<em> been able to tell was that the place was undoubtedly beautiful. Palm trees swayed in the warm breeze and everywhere they went, they could hear the ocean; the weather was not too hot and not too humid, simply perfect.

She had to admit the restaurant was gorgeous as well, straight out of a magazine, but there was an uneasy feeling in her chest that stopped her from enjoying everything as much as she should. Once they were seated, she decided to address the problem.

"What is the meaning of all this?" she asked, gazing at him from across the table.

Yoh grinned. "Well, I figured that since you're so overprotective, you wouldn't feel very comfortable while Hana's gone."

"What makes you think flying me across the world would change that?" she asked, with a tinge of sarcasm in her voice.

He shrugged. "New sceneries, new people. Me."

Anna raised her eyebrows. "You?"

Yoh nodded. "Me," he confirmed.

She was silent for a long moment, before she heaved a sigh and leaned back in her seat. A thought seemed to occur to her as she crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow down at her plate.

"I take it you know how to woo your girlfriends. I bet it works, too."

He smiled. "What girlfriends?"

Her eyes were almost accusing as they rose to meet his. "Were there any other women?"

"Yes," he admitted firmly. "And I saw your face reflected at me in each and every single one of them."

"While we were married," she clarified. "While you were away."

Yoh shook his head. "You were there," he said. "You were always there, Anna. I loved you—so much. And I swear I wanted to make things right, but I… I didn't know how. How was I supposed to fix something I didn't understand? And you were so frustrating because I was used to you being understanding and yet you weren't making a single effort to get it—to get me."

"And you lashed out at me. Every single time." There was something in the back of her mind that warned her that she was crossing a line she had once sworn not to cross, but he had brought her there and had bought her that dress and was looking at her the way he was and everything was suddenly overwhelming, so overwhelming that she couldn't think and couldn't keep her composure intact. She felt cornered—and when Anna felt cornered, she attacked.

"I'm sorry," he told her.

"I wasn't exactly the perfect wife, either, so it's alright," she replied automatically. "There's no need to go through this anymore."

"Yes," he insisted, reaching for her hand over the table, brown eyes searching hers. "Yes, there is. There is, Anna, because I still love you. And I want you back."

She snatched her hand away, an incredulous expression on her face. That Yoh was consciously and deliberately trying to find ways to approach her was no secret; but to hear him say it so openly…

"You're out of your mind," she declared in a soft voice.

Yoh shook his head with a firmness that stunned her. "No. No, I've finally come to my senses."

"What makes you think that I could possibly change my mind?" she asked as she leaned forward, watching him with troubled amber eyes. This was a possibility that she had never taken into account, a situation she had never counted on occurring. There were no reasons he could give her that could make it logical in her universe. "Things are going so well right now. Hana is good. He's happy. Why would I risk?"

His answer was immediate. "Because some risks are worth taking. I _love_ you, Anna."

She reared back as though he had slapped her, a thin sheen of tears in her eyes.

"And I want you in my life again—as not only the mother of my child, but my woman. I can't force you into anything, but I sure as hell won't give up until I've done everything possible."

She could barely find her voice to answer. "That's something you should have done years ago."

"Am I too late?" he whispered, watching her with soft eyes.

Her heart sputtered to a stop before abruptly picking up its pace as her mind frantically began to backpedal. Breaking eye-contact, she stood up. "You know what? I want to leave. I don't feel comfortable so many miles away from Hana. I want to go home."

* * *

><p>The front door slammed shut, hiding her from his view. Yoh clenched his jaw. He loved this woman more than his own life, but sometimes, she could be so infuriating.<p>

"Anna!" he shouted as soon as he was inside the room.

In the faint light coming through the windows, he saw her cross the threshold to the bedroom, and followed suit.

"Anna—"

"Take me home!" she snapped, whirling around to glare at him. "That's all I'm asking! You've done enough of everything else!"

"Anna, I know you love him, I know you want him to be safe, but you need to learn to let him go every once in a while!"

She continued to ignore him, stalking around the bed to gather her clothes.

His voice rose as irritation bubbled up beneath his skin. "Why are you so protective? Because of what your parents did to you? We already—"

"It's because Hana's the only thing I have left from you!" she screamed, stunning him into silence. Angrily, she threw her blouse back on the bed and placed her hands on his chest, pushing him backwards. "And it's been like that all along! Because every time I looked at him, I saw you! And it hurt!" Her throat constricted as tears invaded her eyes, but she swallowed hard against the resistance and fought to continue. She never saw the way his eyes softened, never noticed the step he took in her direction. "It hurt, Yoh, but I put up with it and I was thankful for it because I loved you. I still do, goddamn it! You know this—and you have no right to play with me the way you're doing right now."

"I'm not playing with you," he murmured in a soothing whisper and closed the distance between them, cupping her face within his hands.

She pushed him away immediately, tears almost spilling from her eyes as she sniffled as discretely as she could. "Yes, you are. Respect my decisions."

"You're asking me to respect decisions that are wrong?" he scoffed. "Come on, Anna, you know me better than that!" Stepping closer, he grasped her face once more, forcing her to look at him in the eye. "I know you're well-aware of everything I've been doing to grow close to you again."

"There's a reason why I've been ignoring that."

"Open up to me," he coaxed, dismissing her words. "Open up to me again. I know you want this. I can see it in your eyes. I can hear it in your voice. Take a chance. Take a chance, sweetie, and I promise I'll be there to catch you."

She looked up at him with pained eyes. "How can you ask me to do that?! How can you ask me to do that when there's so much on the line now?"

"Give me another chance," he insisted. "Please. One more. That's all I ask for." Their agitated breaths mingled together as he rested his forehead against hers.

Anna closed her eyes. She could feel the heat his strong body radiated, could see the way his taller frame towered over her. How long since she last felt so protected?

He kissed her forehead. "Give us a chance to be happy," he whispered. His lips traveled down to her temple, then to her cheek, and finally came to hover over her own.

She was tense in his arms. Her entire body was trembling, but her eyes were closed and she was silent. He could feel her breath fanning against his lips and the faint beating of her frantic heart beneath his arm. Slowly, he bent his head. Their lips touched and the sky flared up. A bolt of electricity ran through his entire body and ricocheted up and down his spine.

A tear escaped her eye, traveled down her cheek, and splashed against the warm skin of his hand.

His brows drew together and his heart skipped a beat. If she pulled away now… if she denied him this…

The touch was feathery light—so light he barely felt it. Only that he did. Her lips moved beneath his—slowly, hesitantly, timidly.

Then she was in his arms, and nothing else mattered.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** This chapter gave me another headache, haha! I believe that this is such a crucial scene for the entire story, so I really felt the pressure of getting it right. _

_Please review! :)_


	31. Thirty

_**A/N:** Hello, everybody! Sorry for the long wait! School started and I'm a bit busier than I expected, so finding time to write is harder than I thought it would be. But thank you for your support and your patience, and enjoy this chapter!_

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><p>Moonlight shone through the large, floor-to-ceiling windows as she gazed outside at the unchanging scenery.<p>

His skin was warm against her cheek and his arm was heavy around her waist. His entire overpowering presence engulfed her like a protective blanket. Yet she remained unable to succumb to unconsciousness.

Her mind was restless. Thoughts kept circling round and round and slowly driving her insane. No conclusions were reached; there was only torture. Her heart-rate hadn't lessened, either; it was as if a fist was there to squeeze her heart, over and over, so hard her breath hitched.

Her hand clenching around the soft, satin sheets, she chanced a glance at his sleeping face. He was resting on his back, one of his arms wrapped around her slim waist, the other slung over the mattress. The blanket covered his hips, but left his toned stomach exposed; his brown hair was spread over his face and the pillow, his expression relaxed, content in his slumber.

The breath seemed to leave her body and her lungs seemed to collapse into themselves at the sight.

She struggled to keep her breathing even as she slowly eased herself into a sitting position, but it was even more difficult than she had anticipated. Her hand trembled as she slowly ran her fingers over the length of his strong jaw-line. How was it that this one man held all of her dreams and all of her wishes into his powerful hands? How could he possibly mean _everything_ after so long?

Squeezing her eyes shut, she bent her head and touched her lips to his temple, lingering.

How was it that she could taste her happiness but not reach out and grab it, keep it to herself where it should have remained from the very beginning? How was it that the world seemed so cruel to her now? For six years, she had worked herself to the point of not caring, to the point of being indifferent, and a split second was all it took to make everything she had tried so hard to build tumble down to her feet. A sob almost ripped from her throat, but she managed to hold it in.

Slowly, careful not to disturb his sleep, she eased out of his embrace. He didn't stir, and she moved to the side of the bed. Picking up her discarded dress, she slipped it on and moved out of the room, her feet padding soundlessly against the hardwood floor. Sliding the doors open, she walked out on the terrace and took a seat, curling into herself. Resting her forehead against her knees, she closed her eyes and tried to take deep breaths to stop her meltdown. This wasn't the place, and it most definitely wasn't the time.

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><p>When Yoh woke up, the sky was several shades lighter, and he was alone. His mind registered that fact the very moment his skin failed to perceive her body heat, and his brows furrowed. Stretching out his arm in hopes that he would find the woman he loved, he opened his eyes, bringing one of his hands up to rub the sleep away from them. He searched the darkened room for her presence, but he was unable to find it, and the fact disconcerted him more than he thought it should.<p>

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he quickly located his boxers and pulled them on, before making his way out on the terrace. There was something inside of him that had lured him out with a whisper, and he wasn't surprised to find her there, with her red dress on and a small bottle of water by her side. With the breeze running through her hair, she gazed out into the horizon; she had one leg propped up, her elbows resting on top of her knee, while her other was tucked beneath it.

She turned her head the moment she heard him open the door, a disarmed look in her eyes—yet one that was so sad at the same time.

"What's wrong?" he murmured, a small frown on his features, as he took a seat beside her. His hand immediately came up to brush locks of blonde hair over her shoulder, before trailing down her spine to rest on her lower back. "Do you miss Hana?" he ventured a guess when she remained silent.

"Yeah," she answered, her voice a soft whisper and somewhat chocked. But her eyes sent him a different message, and his confusion grew.

"Do you want to go home? He won't be there until tomorrow, but we can go if that makes you feel better." Brushing his hand over her cheek, he brought her close and buried his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. "Just don't leave my side again when we're sleeping." His lips brushed against her pulse, then her jaw.

Anna closed her eyes.

"It's disorientating—waking up and not finding you there."

A quiet, sob-like gasp escaped her throat as she forced herself to remain still.

Yoh pulled back, watching her with guarded brown eyes. "Do you want to leave?"

"No." She shook her head. "We can't leave until we put this in order, Yoh."

He cupped her face into his warm hands, looking at her in the eye. His heart thumping frantically against his ribcage, he refused to believe what his mind was telling him.

Instead, he tried to smile. "Put what in order?" he asked.

Anna closed her eyes. "_This_. What are we doing?"

"What do you mean what are we doing?"

"This… us… It can't happen, Yoh," she whispered. "We can't be. Not again. I _told_ you that."

Pulling away from her, he watched her with a lost look in his eyes.

She curled into herself, cold without his warmth, unprotected without his arms around her. But she continued. "I also told you the reason why. I can't do this to Hana."

For a moment, he was silent, as the information sunk into his system. Then he sighed, shook his head, and smiled bitterly. "You can't do _what_ to Hana? You can't give him a family?"

She froze.

Yoh looked away. "All this time, and I still don't know what it is about me that makes you think I don't care about him."

Her eyes widened, and she hastened to deny that, "I never—"

"I do care about my child, Anna," he said. "Even trying to justify that seems ridiculous. I may not have been there for the first six years of his life, but that doesn't mean I don't know how much of a big responsibility being a parent is. And to be honest, I'm getting tired of you constantly undermining that. Because maybe you do have more experience than me. Maybe you already know all the lessons I'm about to learn. But I would never do anything that could possibly hurt him. And what pisses me off even more is that you _know_ that, Anna. You _know_."

"I never said you didn't care about Hana," she defended. "All I said—"

"You're more important," he interrupted her, and she reeled back as though he had slapped her. "There, I said it. You're more important, because right now, you're my priority. There's more for us out there. Do you understand that?" he asked, holding her gaze in such a way she almost shivered. "I want to fix things between us. I want us to have what we used to."

"What makes you think we can have that back?"

"What makes you think we can't?"

Anna huffed a breath that was almost amused, and turned her gaze to the horizon. "You've always been ridiculously optimistic."

"And hasn't everything turned out alright?" he countered. "There came a time when I stopped believing… and I nearly screwed my life over. But then you came back, and… and you had Hana with you." He smiled, despite the situation.

She turned her head back in his direction, her eyes softening at his expression—he seemed torn between pain and happiness, between desperation and resignation, and it took her breath away.

"You… you gave me something I never thought I could have—something I stopped dreaming about the moment you left. And I guess that… that since that day, since I saw you again—ever since then, I've been waiting for this moment. For the moment when I would get to have you—for real." Shaking his head, he seemed to snap out of his daze. "That's why I want you to think… seriously… about whether or not you want to be with me again. Look past everything and ask yourself if it's worth it… because it may." Shrugging, he brought his knees up and rested his elbows on them, looking down. "At least… I know it is, for me. And I know you're hurting more than I am and I know it's harder for you… but it wasn't easy for me, either."

"I never said it was, Yoh," she whispered.

"I know what you said and what you didn't," he claimed. "The problem is that I can't tell what you're thinking. I'm not sure you even understand. This depends on _us_," he emphasized, gazing deep into her eyes. "If we _want_ this to happen, we have to _make_ it happen. And yes, it's a risk. But you think it was easy for me to bring you here, to push you, to beg you to welcome me back into your life? You think it was easy for me to take that chance knowing that I was the one to mess up in the past, knowing that it was my fault we broke up in the first place? No, Anna, it was not. I could have fucked things up again, ruined everything we've been trying to build for all these months. But I risked it all for you, and I don't regret anything. But you need to be willing to do the same and you're not—and I don't get why, because I _know_ you love me."

"I'm not going to deny that… that everything's been fine until now," she admitted. "The future looks bright and beautiful and maybe I'm crazy for not jumping at the opportunity, but Yoh… those first couple of months? That year? It was _amazing_." She shook her head. "What if we're just not meant to be? Have you thought of that? Love doesn't always solve everything."

Yoh huffed a breath. "Look, Anna… I get that you're afraid. I understand. If you want to back out of this, fine. But don't hide behind an excuse like that because you're a coward."

With that, he stood, and never chanced a look back as he walked back inside the bedroom. He pulled on his pants and shrugged on his shirt, and kept his head down and his hands in his pockets and as he made his way out of the suite and through the hallways until he arrived downstairs and started towards the beach.

The sky was slowly lightening, but the sun had yet to rise, so the sand felt pleasantly cool and soft beneath his bare feet.

He had been an idiot again. To be perfectly honest, he always was. Always thought he could solve everything. Always thought he could start over at any given moment. Looking back, he almost wanted to laugh at his own naiveté. There was only one person who mattered to Anna now, and it wasn't him. It was Hana. He'd wasted his shot and lost his place a long time ago. Anna never gave second chances, so what made him believe that she would give _him_ one?

Yoh was tired of fighting. He wanted her back, and nothing would change that, but he wasn't going to raise his voice in an attempt to make her see a point she refused to get even when he proved it. He wouldn't, because he simply couldn't. For a long time, he had blamed his exhaustion on his travels, on his stressful life, and he had been a complete fool to do that. _She_ had been the one who affected him. Their _relationship_ had been the one that affected him. Her absence, their lack of communication—_that_ was what was wrong in his life, not the transition he had been forced to make from a laidback teenager to a responsible adult.

Yoh and Anna had enough reasons to fight. Every couple did. He was stubborn and she was stubborn and they were so different it seemed like the odds were against them from the very beginning, but that was so far from the truth it was laughable. That was what people saw. But it wasn't in their nature to fight with each other. Maybe argue occasionally on matters they both felt very strongly on, but not _fight_. Being mad with her and being away from her went against every fiber of his being. It was as if he was in a constant battle with himself.

And Yoh couldn't take that anymore. He couldn't go through that again, and not because it would kill what was left of him that he had managed to recover over the years, but because, in a way, he had something else to live for now. He had Hana. And if Anna had been able to look at him for six whole years and consider him enough, then he would be able to, as well. He _had_ to.

He heard the footsteps behind him a moment too late, just as her voice rang through the stillness of the night. "Yoh!"

He stopped, and she came to stand in front of him, blonde hair whipping forward around her face with the force of the wind. She didn't bother to brush it behind her ears. Instead, she spent a moment holding his gaze; then she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest, clinging to him.

Yoh frowned, his mind a jumbled mess, but his arms seemed to act on their own accord as they immediately hugged her back, pulling her small body tighter against him. Burying his face into the crook of her neck, he inhaled her feminine scent.

"I don't get you, Anna," he whispered into her hair.

"Sometimes, I don't get myself, either," she confessed as she pulled back a fraction, keeping her arms around him and looking at him in the eye. "But as I stand here now… I realize there's something that I do get—something that's always been clear. And that's that I love you. I love you like I never thought possible to love another person. I went six years without seeing you once and I feel like I love you even more now. And I don't want to lose you. I wouldn't stand that."

"You're never going to lose me again, Anna." His eyes were strong and steady as they reassured her. "It's your choice whether or not you want to actually _have_ me. I know I said I'd do everything in my power to win you over, but… I never knew—or I guess I wanted to ignore—how much you actually didn't want this. And if you're going to stick to that… fine. But you're not going to lose me, either way. I'm not disappearing from Hana's life. And I'm never disappearing from yours again unless you want me to."

"I want everything, too," she whispered, tears as clear as day in her eyes. "I've always wanted everything with you… and I don't know if I dared to dream too much, because it's clear I haven't been meant for loving and being loved, but… but right here and right now, I can't bring myself to care. I try to, I really do, with every fiber of my being, but you're here and you're so close and you want the same thing and I… I just want to forget about everything."

Yoh's eyes seemed to regain their sparkle as he took a step even closer and cupped her face into his hands. "Stop fighting, Anna," he whispered. "I know it's not easy for you to go through this, but if only you could get yourself to trust me again… at least for a little bit—I'll regain the rest as we go. But, please… just give in."

She seemed torn as she rested her head on his shoulder and sagged against him.

His hand ran through her tangled blonde locks. "Let's be happy, Anna," he encouraged. "Let me make you happy."

There was a long period of silence from her part, and if he hadn't known any better, Yoh would have thought she was ignoring him. But he did know better, and apart from that, he could feel her small form trembling against him, could see the tension in her shoulders and hear her irregular breathing. All the time, he kept his hand in her hair and his lips to her temple, his arm tight around her waist.

"Only if you promise me…" Her voice was a mere whisper when she finally spoke, turning to bury her face into the crook of his neck, her hands fisting the soft material of his shirt. "Promise me you'll never leave me again," she murmured. "_Promise_ me."

"I promise," he said, gripping her with a sudden ferocity. "I promise," he repeated as he pulled her away from him so that he could look at her in the eye. "I won't _ever_ leave you again. I won't _ever_ hurt you again. I promise. Just give me a chance."

He kissed the tip of her nose, and she closed her eyes.

Her nod was almost imperceptible, but it was there, and he noticed it. And for the first time in longer than he could remember, his face broke into a genuine grin.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Remember how I said the last chapter gave me a headache? Well, this one killed me. I think it had around four versions; they were either too dramatic or too mellow or too not good. Besides, I missed Hana, so I went ahead and wrote something for future chapters, haha!_

_Anyway, I felt that the story needed a bit more drama and a bit more resistance from Anna's part. It would have been a bit unrealistic to have her accept him right away, without any lingering doubts, after six whole years of trying to come to terms with the fact that their relationship would never be again._

_Please review! The next chapter should be out much sooner!_


	32. Thirty One

_**A/N:** Hello, everybody! It's been a while, but not that long, so without further ado, I present you… Hana! Yayyy!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>The moment Hana stepped out of the bus, he made a beeline straight for his mother.<p>

He had missed his father, too, there was no denying that, but it was different. He had hardly ever been away from his mother, and as much as people seemed to think of her as overprotective because of that, the truth was that he was just as attached to her as she was to him. There were simply more things out there for him to discover.

"Mom!" he exclaimed, throwing himself into her arms as she crouched down to return his embrace.

"My baby," she murmured, squeezing him back, pressing her lips into his hair.

The days she had spent with Yoh had been amazing; they had been stressful and had consumed her more than she would have believed possible, but she didn't regret a single moment. Regardless, she had missed Hana with every fiber of her being. She wasn't used to being away from him and that wasn't something she even wanted to learn, in the first place.

Clutching him even tighter to herself, she stood up, smiling at him when he pulled away.

It was in that moment that Yoh stepped in, taking him from her arms and into his. "Hey, kiddo," he greeted, grinning. "Missed us?"

Hana nodded. "Yeah."

"But it was nice, right?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "A bit boring, but it was alright."

"You can't tell me you didn't enjoy yourself when you insisted so much on going, Hana," his mother complained, throwing him a bland look, and he grinned as he rested his head on his father's shoulder, hearing the soft rumble of his chest as he laughed.

Hana had always been pleased and perfectly happy with his mother and with what they had. People had trouble believing that he had never felt as though something was missing from his life, that he had never wished to have the father figure every other child his age seemed to have, but the truth was exactly that—he hadn't. His mother was more than enough for him and he couldn't care less about what people thought or even said.

But right now… right now he would readily admit that maybe he _could_ understand them. Because having both of them there gave him a sense of stability that his mother alone had never been able to offer him. And it felt good—so good that, for the first time ever, Hana didn't even stop to try to analyze it. He just felt. And it felt amazing.

* * *

><p>Spaceball was, of course, ecstatic with the return of his rightful owner. He had also been ecstatic with the return of Yoh and Anna the night before, but they weren't the ones that took him in their bed at night, so naturally, he had probably missed Hana as much as Hana had missed him.<p>

The boy, too, was ridiculously happy to see him, but Anna sent him upstairs to wash up the moment he stepped through the door, claiming that he had more than enough time to spend with his companion afterwards. Once Yoh made his own way upstairs to make a couple of phone-calls, she was finally left alone with her newly recovered Blackberry and her unanswered e-mails.

She started up the stairs when she was done and there was still no sign of any commotion whatsoever; hesitating for a brief moment, she opened the door to her child's bedroom, a smile immediately curving her lips upwards at the sight that met her: he was lying face-down on the bed, fast asleep, with his arms around his pillow and his dog curled up at his feet.

Knowing that he must have been tired out by the long trip, she made an effort to be as silent as possible as she moved out in the hallway, grabbed a spare blanket, and once again entered his bedroom to drape it over his small form. She only acknowledged the mild thumping of Spaceball's tail on the mattress with a roll of her eyes, as she bent down to brush the blond hair away from Hana's face and to place a kiss on his forehead.

Yoh met her outside the room as she exited, being extra-careful with closing the door behind her. There was a grin she knew all too well on his face, and amusement sparkled to life in her eyes as she glanced at him.

"He's sleeping," she announced, her voice a soft whisper.

"Yeah?" he asked, and with one step, closed the distance between them, grasping her waist and pulling her into his embrace.

"Mhmm," she hummed in agreement, resting her hands on his forearms. Although doubts still lingered in the back of her mind, doubts she had no control over, she found it hard to care when he was nearby—and it seemed even harder when she realized that he now always was.

"You feeling better now?" he murmured, bending his head so that he could rest his forehead against hers. "Now that he's home?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, and his chest rumbled with a chuckle.

With a grin, he pressed his lips to hers in a kiss. "Want me to make you feel even better?" he suggested.

Anna laughed as he began to pepper butterfly kisses over her jaw, making his way down her neck. "Stop it…" Smiling, she squirmed against the tickling sensation.

"You don't want me to stop," he murmured confidently, wrapping his arms fully around her waist and pulling her tight against him.

With his face buried in the crook of her neck, he was unable to see her smile as she snaked her own arms around his neck, but he could hear it in her voice as she teased, "You don't know what I want…"

Grinning, he pulled back to look at her, a spark in his eyes that, she realized, she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Oh, I think I might have an idea," he said, before bending down and pressing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

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><p>Hana knew something was different about his parents from the moment they came to pick him up from school that day, and he saw their hands linked together before him in the car. But it was even more obvious now, as he sat at the kitchen table, stealthily watching them interact.<p>

His mother was wearing a top that left part of her back exposed, and his father's hands were constantly on her skin, as though a wall had been broken down between them, as though he was finally allowed to be himself again.

Anna also seemed different—lighter, somehow; as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was pushing him away, constantly slapping his hands from touching her, constantly dodging his sneaky embraces, but occasionally, more often than usual, she would smile. She would smile as she told him to stop, and he would grin as he did the exact opposite.

At one point, after she put his food down on the table, she went back into the kitchen. Yoh followed her relentlessly. Hana picked up his fork and was ready to dig in when his eyes landed on his mother trying to come back into the room and his father blocking her way. Words were exchanged between them, and she laughed. His father bent down and captured her lips into a kiss.

He pretended not to see that. His mother let him walk her backwards into the kitchen, anyway, so he hid his grin behind a mouthful of food and waited until after dinner, when she took him in her arms to lead him upstairs to bed.

"Where's Dad?" he asked, twisting in her embrace, wondering why it was that he hadn't seen the man since they ate together.

"He had a matter to solve," she answered. "He'll be back in a bit. But not before you go to sleep."

Climbing up the stairs, she placed him down on the floor once they reached his room, leaving him to walk to the bed by himself as she picked up the few objects he had managed to scatter around in the small amount of time he had been back home.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," she declared, her back to him, while he was clambering up onto the soft bed sheets.

He grinned. "As if I haven't noticed."

Anna was smiling when she turned around, and she made her way towards him, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. Spaceball came barreling into the room and leaped straight beside Hana, which made her roll her eyes but not throw him out. Instead, she reached out to brush his blond hair away from his face, looking at him with a warm glint in her eyes.

"I just want you to know…" she started, her voice soft, "that I did this thinking about you, as well. That I accepted this because I trust him—because I trust your father and because I trust… ourselves and our future attempt to mend our relationship. I wouldn't jump headfirst into something that hasn't worked in the past without thinking of you."

With a groan, Hana rolled his eyes. "Mom, you don't always have to think of me."

"Of course I do," she insisted.

"Mom—"

"I know," she interrupted him, nodding. "I know how you feel. I do."

"I don't want to see you sad because of me," he told her pointedly. "Like you were when we first moved here."

"I brought you into this world and I have to take care of you," his mother spoke firmly. "I _want_ to take care of you. You are now the most important person in my life and you will _always_ come first, no matter what happens. I will be happy only as long as _you_ are happy." She shook her head. "But that's not even the point here. The point is that I love your father. And I want you to know that, this time, everything will be different."

Her words seemed to mellow him out a bit, and he allowed her to pull the covers over him as he lied down with his head on the pillow. "I knew that," he confessed after a moment of silence.

"You knew what?" she asked.

"That you love him," he answered simply. "It was obvious in the way you looked at him, even when you glared. And I knew things would be different when you finally admitted that you still loved each other because you never fought—not even once." He shrugged. "At least not when I was around. I don't even know if you did it because of me or because, secretly, you both _wanted_ to get along."

Her eyes softened as his words sunk into her mind. She had failed to realize before, but ever since that day when they took a moment to talk about their relationship, Yoh and her had never fought. Even on their impromptu trip, where all the elements that could have led to a heated fight were present, neither of them lost their cool—and they talked like normal human beings.

"I love you," she told him once she snapped out of her daze, gazing at him in awe.

Hana grinned.

"I _love_ you," she repeated, more forcefully, bending down to kiss the top of his head.

He laughed. "I love you, too, Mom," he told her.

He never called her out on the tears that glistened in her eyes—because he knew, they were happy ones.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** I might come back to edit this at some point in the future… Something about it seems off… meh. The next chapter should be out very soon! _

_Please review!_


	33. Thirty Two

_**A/N:** Time for some Yoh x Anna moments!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>The faint, warm light from the lamp-post across the street and the darkened sky washed over them as they sat on the porch that night, a bottle of wine and two half-full glasses beside them. A gentle breeze blew, bringing along the fresh scent of damp soil, the sound of raindrops falling from the sky and the trees swaying to nature's will.<p>

As the light danced over her face, Yoh reached out to trace his knuckles over her smooth cheek, causing amber eyes to search his, pleasantly surprised.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, almost reverently.

Anna shook her head, a wide smile spreading on her lips. "I can't believe you," she said, amused.

Yoh grinned. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to hers, loving the way she responded as her small hand came to rest on his collarbone. He grasped her hips and pulled her closer, and she smiled into their kiss. His too large jacket slipped from her shoulders, making her shiver as his hands ran up her back, under her shirt, and caressed her bare skin on their way to tangle in her wind-blown hair.

A low beep interrupted them. Anna recognized the sound in an instant, and pulled away in spite of his whine, reaching for her phone.

"Now what?" Yoh asked, nearly pouting.

She snuck one look at him and then rolled her eyes. "E-mail," she answered simply.

He groaned, pried her hands off the phone, and pulled her back into a kiss. "Forget about work," he muttered against her lips. And she would have—she would have lost herself into the warmth and protection of his arms—had it not been for her phone beeping again from where he had tossed it beside them.

She laughed silently when he muttered, "I knew I should hidden it when I had the chance and never given it back."

"Important project," she supplied and stood up, taking her phone with her as she made her way back inside the house.

With a sigh, Yoh picked up the rest of their belongings and stood, following her inside. "Which you can work on, you know—at work," he commented as he headed for the kitchen. She had been gone all day and Hana had been a handful and he had been looking forward to a couple of hours of peace and quiet and _her_. He had never quite realized just how little time they actually spent together until he once again felt entitled to have her by his side every waking moment—and then some.

She turned to throw him a flat look before entering the living room. "Smartass," she called. "Unfortunately, this is a full-time job."

He frowned at her choice of words and, after placing the bottle of wine and their glasses on the counter, made to follow her, coming to stop before the coffee table. "I thought you liked what you do."

She looked up from where she was rummaging through her bag. "I do," she declared. She seemed surprised, but honest. "But working with large companies requires dedication… which I don't entirely have."

As he watched her settle on the overstuffed couch to send her own e-mail, he concluded it was logical. Anna had gone to college because she had wanted to study, and she had chosen something she enjoyed. But at this point in her life, what mattered most was Hana.

"So… why work with large companies?" he ventured.

Her answer didn't surprise him. "Because I wanted Hana to have everything."

"He has now," he immediately said, taking a step closer. "Give it up."

Anna huffed an amused breath as she placed her phone on the table and shuffled in his direction, sitting on her knees on the couch to place a kiss to his cheek. Even then, he had to bend his head. "It's not that easy," she told him.

"Yes, it is," he insisted, taking her hands in his. "You don't need this job anymore. You can find another one—something you'll really love."

She watched him, amber eyes searching his brown ones. For a moment, he was under the impression that she was contemplating what he had told her. Then she shook her head and sat back on her heels. "I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of being completely dependent on you again," she confessed.

It was as though she had slapped him. "You don't trust me."

She shook her head. "We've been through this, Yoh. As much as I tell myself that everything will be alright, there's something in me that just doesn't want to let go yet. I can't give up everything so easily. You can't possibly expect me to."

Yoh heaved a sigh and sat down on the coffee table, facing her. "Anna, I—"

"This isn't just about Hana, Yoh," she told him. "It's about me, too. It's about the fact that I based my entire life on our relationship and then it was gone and like the ground had been ripped out from under my feet. That's why I'm being so… _dramatic_. I know you're ready to embrace this and embrace our relationship and have things be as they were and I'm not saying our divorce didn't hurt you, too, but…" Pausing for a moment, she let out a steady breath. "You've had everything all your life, Yoh. You've had your family to support you, your friends to cheer you up… I never had any of those. And the friends that I did have were all yours first. Try to be a bit more understanding, because if you can't and if you think, even for a second, that it isn't going to work, then we should leave it at this." With that, she made a move to stand up, but his hand clasped on her wrist and stopped her.

"No," he said, nodding. "No, I see. I understand. I guess…" He swallowed. "It's legit. I will make you trust us again."

"That's something we will both have to work on," she assured him, leaning forward to reach out to him and rest her hands on the base of his neck. "But… I'm willing to take his chance, but… don't hurt me again," she whispered, her scared eyes begging him to listen, to understand, to agree. "There are so many things on the line now, Yoh…"

"Anna…"

"If I leave you again… I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. And I don't know how Hana will cope with that—how he will cope with your absence. I—"

"Shh," he hushed her, turning his head and kissing her palms, before cradling her face in his hands. His eyes were warm and steady as he spoke. "Stop worrying about that. Stop, because you're only wasting your energy. It won't happen. I won't make the same mistake twice. I love you, and I need you, and I'm going to keep you in my life, because that's where you belong—where you've always belonged."

"I'm scared," she whispered. "I'm scared we're going to turn back into what we were."

"We won't," he told her firmly. "We're not like that anymore."

"We weren't like that when we got married, either."

Yoh shook his head. "Anna, relax. We made a promise. Remember?"

She nodded.

"We've been living together for months. And it may be different, but we'll be fine. We know what we did wrong, we solved our problems. We're better persons now. It is possible that it may take an additional effort, but we can do this. Alright?"

She gave one more nod, and he gently kissed her forehead.

"I want you to think about what I said," he whispered, gazing down at her. "I want you to think about quitting."

Anna shifted uncomfortably. "Yoh, I…"

"Think about it. I'm not trying to make you give up your job because I can kiss you now and I want you all to myself. I want you to be happy. And besides… all the time you waste now doing something you don't completely enjoy, you can spend with Hana." Pausing, he allowed a gentle smirk to spread on his face. "With me."

She smirked at his suggestion and wrapped her arms around his neck. "With you," she repeated.

"With me," he confirmed in a whisper, before pressing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** This scene was supposed to take place earlier in the story, but I fiddled with the time-line a bit to make it fit perfectly!_

_Please review! _


	34. Thirty Three

_**A/N:** I apologize for taking so long! Things are supposed to go back to normal now—at least for a little while. I'm partially done with my driving exam, done with my semestrial tests and my college applications. Christmas vacation is coming, and although I suspect it's going to be quite a busy one, I will hopefully have time to make some headway in my stories. I want to finish "All We'd Ever Need" until the year ends. I never imagined senior year would be so busy, but here I am, eating my words, haha!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>It was late when Anna came home that night, and she was surprised to find the lights still on and the house still flooded with laughter. Hana came bounding down the stairs just as she rounded the corner, and she swept him into her arms with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.<p>

"Just where do you think you're going?" she asked.

The boy laughed.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" she pressed, amused.

Hana grinned, before proclaiming, "I'm hungry."

"Hana, please," the blonde scoffed, rolling her eyes as she placed him down on his feet. "Be more inventive. I've heard that one too many times."

With her hand on his back, she led him back upstairs, pausing once they hit the landing and stumbled across a confused Yoh.

"I thought I told you to go to bed," he said, frowning down at Hana.

"You can't just _tell_ him," Anna replied jokingly, "You have to _force_ him. You have to tuck him in—to tie him to the bed if necessary!"

Hana laughed, releasing a loud squeal and ducking into his room when she reached down and began to tickle him. Making his way straight to the bed with a large grin on his face, he jumped in and slipped underneath the covers, watching as his mother followed in his footsteps to take a seat beside him.

"You want to know the real reason why I didn't want to go to sleep?" he asked.

Anna nodded. "Go on, surprise me."

His grin widened. "I wanted to see you."

She smiled. "Cute, I'll give you that, but hopeless."

He laughed. "Seriously, now, Mom. I _miss_ you. You're not even there to bug me to write my homework anymore."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she said, genuinely regretful, as she brushed a lock of blonde hair away from his face. "I'll finish this project soon. And once it's done, it's done. Everything will go back to normal. Besides, I've only being missing out on bugging you to do your homework for two days."

"Well, yeah, but—"

"You know what?" she interrupted, poking his forehead. "You're spoiled. That's your problem." Bending down, she kissed his cheek. "You're spoiled."

Hana laughed. "I love you, Mom," he proclaimed, somewhat proudly.

Her eyes softened. "I love you, too."

* * *

><p>Time passed, and Yoh met her downstairs. There was a gentle smile on his face as he tugged her in his arms, and she sagged against him, burying her face into his chest and inhaling his familiar scent. While Anna had been more than happy with her life before, she couldn't deny the sense of comfort and well-being that rushed through her veins and enveloped her whole when she came home to Yoh—not just to her child, but to her family.<p>

"Rough day?" Yoh murmured, his voice slightly muffled against her blonde hair, as he ran a hand up and down her back.

She had to fight her eyes from closing, but she managed a nod without effort.

He kissed her temple. "Want to go to sleep?"

Anna shook her head. "Not yet."

Yoh's lips curled into a grin against her skin. "Cuddle?" he suggested.

She smiled. "Yes," she answered, and before she even knew what happened, he had bent down and grasped her underneath her knees, lifting her up into his arms. She let out a small squeal at the abrupt movement, but wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled into his shoulder.

Reaching the living room, he lowered her onto the couch, supporting his body with his hands as he held himself above her to kiss her.

"Chocolate or tea?" he asked.

She pecked his lips. "Tea."

He grinned, and with one last kiss, straightened and left the room.

In his absence, Anna made herself comfortable, disposing of her shoes and curling up with her legs underneath her. He came back after a couple of minutes with two mugs of tea in his hands; he wrapped his arms around her and inhaled the aroma of her hair, and suddenly nothing made more sense in the world than that—than the two of them, together.

They remained wrapped up in each other for a long time, simply cuddling, sharing kisses and enjoying each other's presence. Few words were spoken, and Anna caught herself thinking once or twice that it was the perfect way to fall asleep—warm and comfortable and safe in his overpowering presence.

"Anna," he whispered at a certain point, breaking the silence with his serious tone. "I need to know something."

The atmosphere changed in an instant, and the blonde was tempted to interrupt him, to change the subject before he could even open it, but she knew there were questions she still had to answer. She was still confident in the decision she had made, regardless of where she was now, and she had nothing to hide.

"Go ahead," she encouraged with a nod, sneaking out of his embrace and leaning over to place her almost empty mug of tea on the coffee table.

Yoh hesitated, lips twisting as he stared down at his hands, hugging his own warm mug. "When you left… did you know you were pregnant?"

She shook her head. "No," she said, and rested her arm on the back of the couch. "I found out about a month after we divorced."

"If…" He abruptly stopped. A silent battle seemed to take place in his mind, before it was won. "If you had known beforehand…" He raised his head to look at her in the eye. "Would it have changed anything? Would it have changed your decision?"

Anna swallowed. "I don't know, Yoh," she whispered. She wanted to say yes—she wanted to say yes with every fiber of her being. Because, still, every fiber of her being wished there was something that could have been done to stop their separation. Every fiber of her being wished that her memories would have worsened with time—wished reality hadn't been as harsh. "It's hard to say, but… Remember that morning? When you came home the night before, I'd already made my decision. I'd already promised myself I would leave—because our relationship was killing all that was left of me. But that morning… I got sick. I threw up, remember?"

"Yes," he answered, his voice tight. "That's why… that's why I asked."

She nodded. "Your phone rang. You went to answer it. Then you came back saying that you're sorry, that if I'm alright, that you're sorry again… but that you need to leave."

Yoh felt as though the world had collapsed in on itself and buried him whole. He couldn't even breathe properly. What had he done?

"It could have been the pregnancy," she tried to reason. "The hormones acting up. The mood-swings starting. Maybe it was that that made me emotional. But in that moment…" She shook her head. "In that moment, I realized I was doing the right thing. It was the first time that I had you in front of me and that I felt, truly felt, I would be better off without you. I had no other choice. There was nothing left that we could have saved from our relationship." Her eyes were covered with a thin sheen of tears when she briefly glanced at him, before quickly looking back down to hide her reaction. "To answer your question… looking back at that moment, I think I would have left anyway. Honestly speaking."

He exhaled heavily, running his hands forcefully through his hair as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

Anna smiled sadly and ran her hand over the nape of his neck in an effort to relax him. "But that's all in the past now," she whispered.

"When you found out you were pregnant…" He stopped. He couldn't continue. He looked up at her from under his bangs pleadingly, his eyes encouraging her, begging her to go on.

She took a moment to choose her words. "I was… confused, at first. I almost couldn't believe what was happening. Not because I didn't want him, but because… it was a bit cruel," she admitted, shrugging one shoulder lightly. "But… but I loved him. In that instant, when I found out he was inside me… I loved him. And I swore I would protect him—from everything my parents didn't."

"Did it never occur to you to come back home, to me?" he asked, involuntarily accusing, as he straightened.

"No," she answered. "No, Yoh, that was not an option."

He swallowed. "Was I…?"

"No, Yoh, it was more than that. It took everything of me to leave you. And if I came back, I would never have the courage to do it again. It would have taken all of me—all of us—to try to salvage a relationship that I wasn't even sure _could_ be salvaged, and I couldn't afford that time when I had a child to raise."

"Anna…"

"You know what I went through when I was a child—the insecurity I felt. If I came back here, I had no idea what would happen. How Hana's future would look like… everything was unsure. And I didn't want that for him."

"How could you think of him?" he asked, eyes searching hers, tormented. "Where did you find the strength to—"

"You do," she answered, simply, reaching out to cup his face into her hands. "You find it. When there's no other choice… I know you'd also do anything for Hana."

"That… that's different," he said. "The entire situation is different."

Anna huffed and shook her head. "Why are we talking about these things now? They don't matter anymore."

Yet his eyes continued to beg her to speak. Heaving a sigh, she shifted closer and curled up beside him, burying her face into the crook of his neck and pressing a soft kiss to his skin. Yoh was tense for a moment, before his larger frame molded to hers, his arms coming to wrap around her.

"It was worth it," she said. "It was hard at times, but… but it was worth it."

He kissed the top of her head, inhaling her soft scent.

"I threw up a lot. And I ate… everything weird. The grossest combinations, I would want at four am, I swear." She rolled her eyes at the memory. "And I ate so many oranges. It was crazy."

The corners of his lips turned up and his chest rumbled with a quiet chuckle, making her smile.

"Then he came along and there were the sleepless nights and everything you see on TV or read about in magazines… and it was tiring. But then all I had to do was look down into my arms… and everything was suddenly alright in the world."

Resting his temple against hers, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

She kissed his collarbone.

"I should have been there, Anna. I should have been there to make you the grossest combinations at four am and to eat oranges with you and to hold your hair back when you threw up…"

"You're here now," she interrupted him, pulling back to look at him reassuringly in the eye. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Please review! :)_


	35. Thirty Four

_**A/N:**__ I guess my plan to finish this story before the year ended went out the window, haha! But I am making a new resolution to finish it before January ends! _

_Enjoy! :)_

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><p>Yoh came home one cold November evening to find both Anna and Hana nestled up on his side of the bed. His son was cuddled to her chest, underneath the covers, while his mother was lying on top of them, not dressed in her pajamas, but rather in a short, black dress. Her heels lay abandoned on the floor.<p>

He was unable to hide his smile.

Crossing the room to reach the two most important persons in his life, he tried to be as silent as he could. Once he was beside them, he bent down to press a light kiss to Hana's forehead, before brushing a hand gently over Anna's head. The blonde stirred, and he touched his lips to hers. She whined.

His smile widening, he took a seat on the side of the bed, beside his son, and rubbed her arm soothingly.

She opened her eyes to look at him.

"You okay?" he whispered, gazing at her adoringly. "You're still dressed, sweetheart."

She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. "I'm too tired to think about that," she murmured. Then she opened them again, trying to blink the sleep out of them. "Everything alright with you?"

Yoh smiled, brushing blonde hair away from her face. "Yeah. I'm going to take a shower. Go back to sleep."

She needed no more encouragement.

Before he entered the bathroom, however, Yoh made his way to the closet and pulled out a blanket, which he draped over her unmoving form. He knew perfectly well that she would refuse to slip under the covers with their son, but that was not to say he would let her freeze.

* * *

><p>When Hana slowly blinked his eyes awake that morning, he found it hard to recognize his surroundings. He usually woke up with the sun in his eyes and his pet by his side, and yet neither of those elements was now present.<p>

Instead, he was greeted by a large, spacious room with light-colored walls and a window right beside the bed, from where the sun's heated rays couldn't reach him.

Yawning, he stretched and turned his head to the side. The moment his eyes fell on his mother's sleeping form, he seemed to remember where he was and what he was doing there. He had waited for her to come home in their bedroom, but as it was, he must have fallen asleep before she did, because he couldn't remember seeing or talking to her.

Sitting up, he slipped out from underneath the covers and was preparing to leave the bed in silence when he noticed, from the corner of his eye, exactly whose chest his mother was cuddled to. A wide grin spread on his face, and before he even knew what he was doing, he had jumped over the blonde and onto Yoh, waking both of them up.

That was hardly something he cared about in that moment, though.

"You're back!" he exclaimed, excitement written all over his face as he gazed down at his father.

Anna groaned and rolled over on her stomach, but there was no denying the sleepy smile both of them had managed to catch.

Yoh grinned as he stood, taking his son with him. "Come on, let's let your mother sleep in."

"You'll make me breakfast?" Hana questioned as he was carefully set down on the floor.

"I'll try," he replied, amused, and stayed behind as the little boy ran out of the room, most probably to search for his animal companion. Bending down, he smoothed a hand over Anna's back and pressed a gentle kiss on her temple. "Do you want some water?" he asked.

The blonde nodded sleepily.

Yoh complied with a smile and was back in a mere minute, holding a glass of cold water in his hand. He helped her up and she took a few sips before she placed the glass on the nightstand. Then she promptly groaned. Standing up in one swift movement, she turned her back to Yoh and pulled her hair over her shoulder.

"Take it off," she grumbled, only now registering the discomfort her inappropriate clothing caused her.

The brunet laughed as he slowly lowered the zipper and slipped the dress from her shoulders, allowing it to pool down on the floor and leaving her in her underwear. Stepping out of the material, she climbed back in bed, under the covers this time, releasing a quiet sigh as her head hit the pillow.

All Yoh could do as he tucked her in and kissed her forehead was smile and think about how much he actually loved her.

* * *

><p>"Hana," Yoh called as he moved about in the kitchen, pulling out two cups to make hot chocolate.<p>

The boy looked up from his spot at the table, fixing him with questioning brown eyes.

"Was your mother always so tired?"

"No," he said, shaking her head. "Sometimes, when she had big projects."

"And what did you do?" he pressed, curious.

"I slept in with her," he answered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Yoh laughed.

"It was nice. She'd make me food when we woke up and then we'd spend the entire day together—being lazy."

"You really do love spending time with her, don't you?" Yoh asked, smiling.

Hana nodded. "Sure!"

"I'm going to wake her up," the brunet announced, picking up the two cups and setting one on the table, in front of Hana. "Then maybe we can find something to do together."

* * *

><p>That morning, Anna woke up to the sweet smell of hot chocolate and light kisses pressed on her bare shoulder. She smiled.<p>

A hand reached out to brush the blonde hair out of her face, the touch familiar and soothing.

"Wake up?" a voice whispered suggestively in her ear. "I have hot chocolate."

Her smile widened. Stretching lightly under the covers, she rolled over on her back. A pair of warm lips met hers immediately, and she hummed in pleasure, rounding his neck with her arms.

Yoh ran his large, warm hands from her shoulders down her arms, before encircling her small waist. The blonde shivered slightly under his touch, but he grasped her hips and easily lifted her up, forcing her in a sitting position.

A small laugh escaped her lips as he pulled away.

"Hey," he murmured as he tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Hey," she greeted back.

Yoh reached for the cup of hot chocolate he had set on the nightstand. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he handed it to her.

"Better," she replied, taking a sip of the warm liquid. "Where's Hana?"

"I left him downstairs, with Spaceball."

She fought a smile at the predictable answer. "Did you make him breakfast?"

"I did," he said, surprisingly serene.

Anna watched him skeptically. "What did you do?"

Yoh laughed. "I am astonished by the trust you have in me," he told her.

"You are hopeless in the kitchen, Yoh," she countered, throwing him a bland look.

"Then maybe her majesty will cook us something when she decides to get out of bed," he suggested, clearly amused.

Anna rolled her eyes and Yoh grinned as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"You know what I find weird?" he asked, pulling away.

"What?"

"Your phone," he said.

She raised an eyebrow, pressing for an explanation.

He was quick in granting it to her. "It didn't ring once."

Anna sighed and shifted so that she was now leaning against the headboard more comfortably. "It would have," she said, before taking another sip of the hot beverage. "But I turned it off."

Yoh's eyes widened. "You turned your phone off?" he asked, almost incredulously.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead replied with a simple, "Yes."

"Can I ask why?"

She hesitated. "You were right," she eventually admitted. "There are things that matter more."

"You're going to quit?"

She smiled at his enthusiasm. "I don't know. I just know that… that I've seen almost nothing of my son for a week… and that's not what I signed up for. He's the most important person in my life—along with you. And you two should come first."

Yoh grinned and shifted closer. "Maybe you could help me," he suggested, his brown eyes positively twinkling.

"Help you how?" she asked, curious.

"There's always something to do. I mean, people need houses."

Anna laughed.

"They do!" he defended. "We can find something that will let us be first—and that you'll love doing."

Her eyes softened as the true meaning behind his words was slowly revealed to her. Placing the cup on the nightstand, beside her, she leaned forward, tucking a rebellious lock of blonde hair behind her ear as she looked into his eyes.

"You'd really want to see me there… in everything?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper. "Even in your work? You want me to be there every time you turn you head? You really want to have no escape?"

"Yes," he told her firmly, without an ounce of hesitation in his voice.

Tears invaded her eyes, unbidden and unwelcome.

Yoh smiled and cupped her face in his hands, his brown eyes warm and reassuring as he spoke. "I want you there, Anna—_everywhere_. I want you to entangle your life so badly with mine that you won't ever be able to disentangle it, that you won't ever know where mine begins and where your ends. I want you to know everything and to _be_ there for everything. Because, really… Anna, you're my life."

Leaning forward, he pressed a gentle kiss on her nose.

"Nothing's ever going to change that. Never."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**__ Just to clear up any possible misunderstandings: Anna considering to give up her job is not a way of saying she doesn't need it anymore because she now has a man by her side and women are meant to stay at home and take care of children. It's a symbol of trust; it's a way of saying that she's sure she can rely on him. Well, that, if you really insist on interpreting it._

_Also, this isn't about them having a perfect life—not yet, at least. It's not easy to make everything alright after so much has gone wrong, and this story won't go that far. This is about them being able to solve their problems and move on together._

_That being said, I hope you liked this chapter! _

_Please review! :)_


	36. Thirty Five

_**A/N:**__ Quick update! I hope I can keep this pace! We only have three more chapters to go and an epilogue! :)_

_Thank you for your wonderful reviews!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>One evening, in December, Anna and Hana came home to find Yoh looking over a bunch of papers in the living room.<p>

"Hey," the blonde greeted as she entered the room, her cheeks rosy and her smile wide. Bending down, she kissed him lightly on the lips. "What are you doing?"

"Looking over these," he answered, holding up a sheet of paper.

Anna raised her eyebrows as she took it from him. "What are these?"

"Statistics," he answered simply.

"And what's the deal with them?"

Yoh shrugged. "I have no idea."

Anna laughed—that was so much like him. "Well, would you like some company?"

Yoh grinned, nodding enthusiastically.

"Okay," she said. "But I need to make some hot chocolate first. I'm freezing."

It was then that Yoh noticed the absence of his energetic son.

"Hey, where's Hana?"

Anna rolled her eyes as she made her way out of the room. "Outside, where else?"

* * *

><p>When she came back, she slipped into his arms and curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Yoh smiled as he held the papers up to allow her to accommodate, placing a small kiss on the top of her head.<p>

"Figured out what they are yet?" she asked, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

"I'm on that," he replied.

Anna smiled. "You know…" She sighed. "I'm proud of you."

Yoh seemed to freeze upon hearing her words, his entire body tensing. "…What?" he breathed.

"Yes," she confirmed. "I'm proud of you. You achieved all your dreams… You're who you wanted to be and where you wanted to be. And I know it wasn't easy—but you never gave up." A small smile on her face, she turned her head to look up at him. "And you're doing a great job."

A long moment of silence passed before Yoh found his words to speak.

"You're amazing," he whispered, awed.

Anna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yes," he answered. "Any other woman… Who would have wanted to even _hear_ about this ever again? It tore us apart. Had I not become Shaman King, we wouldn't have had all the problems that we did."

The blonde shook her head. "You have no way of knowing that. And, Yoh…" Breathing in, she shifted in his arms so that she was now facing him. "I love you for everything that you are. You've wanted this ever since I met you. Your family wanted this for you. It was your destiny. And I accept it and I love you for it." Sighing, she buried her head in the crook of his neck and pressed a kiss to his warm skin. "I do."

Yoh placed the papers on the coffee table and wrapped his arms fully around her small figure, his embrace tight, warm, and protective.

Kissing her temple, he heaved a sigh. "I wonder if there will ever come a time when thinking about it will no longer hurt," he murmured against her skin.

Anna closed her eyes. "Maybe."

"Thinking about not having you here, in my arms… Thinking about not knowing Hana…" He paused and shook his head. "I don't think I would have ever worked up the courage to look for you if I hadn't thought I'd seen you that day. This, us, _now_… It all came down to a chance. And I can't even remember how I managed to live six years without you."

"I know…" she whispered. "But you know what?" She pulled away to look into his eyes. "I'm grateful. That our paths crossed again, that we're together now. I have you and I have Hana—and that's enough for me. It's more than I ever dared to ask for. You want more, I can feel that. You want to change the past, but that's not possible, Yoh. We need to come to terms with it. And I'm sure we will. We're on the right path."

Yoh sighed and tightened his embrace, coaxing her to return to her favorite spot on his chest. "Everything will be alright," he spoke.

Anna smiled. "Exactly."

They spent hours wrapped up in each other's arms, discussing random matters and trying to make sense of the statistics. The atmosphere was comfortable, and with her in his arms, Yoh felt as if everything was already alright—in his life and in the world.

Hana joined them after a while, cold and wet, but with a grin on his face that could have lit up the entire room.

Anna straightened from where she sat with her back to Yoh's chest, an almost incredulous look on her face.

"What have you done?" she asked.

Yoh grinned when he noticed Hana trying to stifle a laugh.

"Well, I was playing with Spaceball, and he jumped on me and sent me into this _huge_ pile of snow, and of course—"

"Of course you jumped on him and went headfirst into _another_ pile of snow," Anna completed for him.

Hana grinned sheepishly.

His mother rolled her eyes. "Come on," she said, sliding off the couch. "You need to get out of those clothes."

"What about Spaceball?"

"Spaceball doesn't wear clothes, Hana."

"Yeah, but he has fur!"

"Yes, well, you can blow-dry his fur after you get changed!"

Anna left him with a kiss, and went to tend to Hana, their banter resounding clearly through the house. With a smile on his face, Yoh also stood up, and, placing the papers in his hand back on the table, went to raid the kitchen for something to eat.

When the two joined him once again, the blonde started to cook dinner.

With his son on his lap, stealing cookies behind his mother's back, and her moving around in his kitchen, he felt complete. He felt like he had a family.

And he knew then—he would do _anything_ to keep them by his side.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**__ Review, please! _


	37. Thirty Six

_**A/N:**__ Hello! Thank you all for your support and your reviews! It means a lot to me to know that you enjoy reading my story! :)_

_On a different note, check out the contest that __**SK-fan7**__ is organizing!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>Later that night, Anna climbed in bed, dressed in one of Yoh's long-sleeved shirts. She pressed a kiss to his lips, then snuggled beside him as he draped the blanket over both of them while cradling her to his chest with one arm.<p>

What had begun as a light snowfall had quickly turned into a raging storm, and the large house took longer than usual in warming up.

"I love you," Yoh murmured against her temple, his chest rumbling beneath her hand.

Anna smiled. "I love you, too."

"I never want you to leave again." He had never been happier than he was now, but there were days like these that always made him aware of how much he had actually missed her. He had spent nearly a year with her, hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, but knowing that she was so far away. And now that he had her in his arms again…

"I didn't get back with you to leave you," Anna answered in a calm voice.

His embrace tightened. "I've changed."

Heaving a sigh, the blonde shook her head and slipped out of his arms, sitting up. "Yoh, I don't want you to blame yourself for our separation just because you were the one who was gone all the time and I was the one to leave," she told him, gazing seriously into his eyes. "It was my duty to keep our marriage together just as much as it was yours."

"I know, but…" He swallowed. Sometimes, the need to explain himself was unbearable. "I was young, I was… inexperienced, I guess you could say. Things were bad enough to make me lose control—and I mean, _me_."

She laughed lightly at that.

"I wanted to solve everything… that's why I was there, right?" His voice lowered to a pained whisper. "I didn't realize I was destroying the only thing that truly mattered to me in the process."

"Don't say that," she chided softly, brushing her fingers against his cheek. "You've always cared about the world—about everyone around you."

Yoh nodded. "I know. I want to do good. But my heart is all yours. My family's."

Bending down, she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

He sighed. "I will never shun you out again."

"I know," she told him, and rested her head on his shoulder in a way that she could still see him. "You've proved me that. But that was not our problem, Yoh. Not mine, at least. I didn't need to know everything that happened in the world. What I needed was for you to trust me. To know that you could tell me anything when and if you wanted."

Eyes soft, Yoh reached out to tenderly brush a lock of hair away from her face.

Anna smiled. "And you do now," she continued. "You see me as what I am and what I always was: your equal, your partner."

The brunet shifted so that he was lying on his side, before pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

"I missed you," he repeated for the second time that day, a pained furrow between his brows.

"Me too," she whispered against his skin. "I was obviously better off without you… without the fights, the screams… but… remember those nights, when you wrapped your arms around me and held me tight, like now? I swear I forgot all of our problems then. Every single time, I was ready to start over."

"I know," he murmured. "Every time I felt you so close to me… I _swear_ I wanted to make things right… I just didn't know how."

Releasing a soft sigh, Anna cuddled closer to his warmth and nuzzled his neck. "You're here now," she said. "Just… never leave again."

Yoh kissed her blonde hair and tightened his arms around her. "How could I? I have all I need right here."

* * *

><p>Strangely enough, the morning found them equally as cold. They took a hot shower, and Yoh assured her that it should get warmer by the time lunch rolled around.<p>

While he got dressed, Anna made her way to Hana's room to check on him. She made sure to be silent as she pushed the door open, and her eyes softened at the sight that met her.

He was curled up in a little ball, the covers up to his shoulders, blond hair scattered all over the pillow. The large dog was lying at his feet, also curled up, and lifted his head to look at her when his keen ears managed to pick up the little noise she had made.

Turning around, the blonde fetched another blanket from a storage closet in the hallway, before returning to her son's room to drape it over his small form. Carefully tucking him in, she bent down and pressed a loving kiss to his forehead, gently smoothing her hand over his rebellious hair.

Yoh smiled at the sight from the doorway.

"You know, he looked pretty warm to me," he teased as the blonde straightened and began to make her way towards him.

Spaceball huffed and jumped off the bed, following her.

She rolled her eyes. "He never stays covered during the night. And he never curls up like that."

Yoh grinned as he grasped her hands and guided her into his arms.

She cocked an eyebrow at his action and he chuckled, lightly stroking her lower back.

"It's ridiculous that you worry you're not a good mother," he told her.

"That's what we do—us, normal people. We worry," she replied, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Alright?"

The brunet laughed and attempted to kiss her, but she fought her way out of his arms and pushed him away before he could even touch her lips. Another laugh escaped him as she swiftly turned around and walked downstairs, Spaceball following close behind her.

"Hey, come on," he said, the grin obvious in his voice, as he made his way into the kitchen, after her. "I'll make you breakfast."

With a snort, Anna turned around to face him. "You'll do what?"

"I'll make you breakfast," he repeated. "I can cook. I can make an omelet." He grinned sheepishly. "It's the only thing I can get right."

The blonde took a moment to process the information, before she crossed her arms over her chest. "So, that night… you two didn't even try to cook me dinner. You just promised him you'll take him to McDonald's, and that was that."

"Kind of," he laughed.

She sighed and pulled out a seat for herself at the table. "I'd hoped you'd had fun picking up after yourself," she drawled.

Yoh shook his head. "You know, you seem to have forgotten that day, when you were sick and I cooked you breakfast."

A moment of silence passed before she was able to tell exactly what he was talking about. "I did," she admitted with a small laugh. "My bad. But you could have simply ordered something from a restaurant."

"I'm glad you think my omelet is worthy of a restaurant," Yoh shot back, which earned him another laugh and a roll of her eyes. "By the way," he added as he began to move around the kitchen, pulling out the ingredients he would need to make his signature dish. "I have to be in Takayama tonight… and I was hoping you two would want to come with me."

Anna frowned as stood from her seat, slowly closing the distance between them. "Come with you?" she asked, as though wanting to make sure she had heard right.

"Sure," he confirmed. "I mean, it probably won't be the coolest weekend, because I'll have things to do, but that region is really beautiful, and at least that way you won't be alone." Pausing, he turned and grasped her hips, tugging her into his arms. He smiled and kissed her nose. "What do you say? Do you want to come?"

Her answer came quickly—in the shape of a whispered thank you and a passionate kiss.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**__ I did my research and decided on Takayama as their destination. It really is beautiful! _

_Please review! _


	38. Thirty Seven

_**A/N:**__ Obviously, my plans of finishing this before the end of January went perfectly. Sorry about that! Life's a bitch—school more than the rest of it. _

_One more chapter and an epilogue to go! Enjoy!_

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><p>Hana had already stormed out of the car with Spaceball right behind him by the time Yoh reached the other side of the vehicle to help Anna out.<p>

She placed her hand in his and slipped outside, gazing over his shoulder at the blinding white scenery. Yoh had brought them to the outskirts of the town, stopping in front of a rustic chalet with a large yard. It was the perfect size with the perfect location, and the surroundings were entirely covered in snow—which, she noticed from the corner of her eye, seemed to greatly amuse and entertain Hana.

"This is beautiful," she declared, her eyes sliding back to the man standing at her side.

He grinned. "Wait till you see the inside," he said as he opened the door to grab her coat from the backseat.

"Have you been here before?" she inquired, genuinely curious.

"Yes." Lightly shoving the door shut, he held her coat out, waiting for her to slip her arms into the sleeves.

"Are you starting to see the world twice?" she teased.

"Hmm," he hummed, smiling as she turned around and he bent down to kiss her nose. "And you're starting to discover it."

She raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Really?" she challenged. "Because from what I know about you, you're probably going to help me explore the bedroom—and that's about it."

Laughing, Yoh tugged her in his arms.

A squeal from behind them prevented their conversation from continuing.

Anna stood on her tiptoes and peaked over his shoulder in order to see what had happened, before she rolled her eyes and slipped past him.

"Hana, be careful," she chided, displeased, watching as her child rolled around in the snow as if it was the first time he saw it. The dog's obvious enthusiasm was probably not helping. "You're going to catch a cold."

"So what?" he retorted, grinning.

The blonde huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "So then you'll be complaining all day long and I'll have to deal with you."

Hana laughed, sitting up. "Well, you signed up for it when you had me."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, my bad," she muttered, though it was obvious loud enough for both Hana and Yoh to hear, because they burst into laughter.

The latter brushed a hand over her lower back as he passed by, heading for his son and sweeping him up into his arms once he reached him. The blonde furrowed her brows in amusement as she watched them whisper to one another, silly grins on their faces as the dog barked and wagged his tail at their feet.

Smirking, she leaned against the car, arms still crossed over her chest. She knew exactly what was going on through their minds.

"Before you decide on anything," she started, catching their attention, "You should remember that I'm the only one here capable of cooking."

Both father and son groaned.

* * *

><p>Yoh played with Hana outside almost the entire day after he showed them the house.<p>

As she cooked dinner, Anna was kept company by Spaceball, who seemed to have been thoroughly worn out by her energetic son. She suspected it was for more then one reason that he stuck to her side, though; she was, after all, an excellent cook.

By the time she made her way outside on the porch to call them in for dinner, they were both soaked to the bone and probably freezing; but they had huge smiles on their faces, and she had to make a conscious effort to keep her own at bay.

After ushering Hana inside to dry up and change his clothes, she turned to Yoh. She shook her head as she reached out to brush some of the snow off his coat. She quickly realized it was useless to even try, though, because it was thickly layered upon the wet material.

"You haven't grown up at all," she complained.

Yoh laughed. "Yeah, well, I never said I have."

"Yes, you did," she insisted.

He cocked his head to the side. "Did I?"

"Aha."

"I don't remember."

"That's too bad," she said, looking up at him with a teasing glint in her eyes. "A child with the memory of an old man? A bit of an unfortunate combination, if you ask me."

The brunet laughed and moved to hug her, but she made a sound of complaint and stepped back. "Don't touch me! You're practically a snowman." Directing a mild glare towards him, she crossed her arms over her chest.

Yoh grinned, his eyes sparkled, and before she could make a single move, he had grabbed her wrists and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him.

"Yoh!" she complained in a squeal, the cold snow already seeping through her own clothing. Pushing against him, she tried to slip out of his arms, but then he lowered his lips to hers—and she forgot everything but her name. Her restraint faded, her body slackening against his, and she even rose on the tip of her toes to reach him better; seeing as she would now have to change her clothes, anyway, she was ready to let his reproachable actions slip.

That, of course, until he easily turned her around and began to lead her backwards, in the direction of the stairs. Her eyes popped open, a gasp escaping her lips when he tightened his arms around her waist and picked her up.

"Don't you dare!" she warned, resuming her struggle to free herself. It was even harder now that her feet were no longer on the ground. "I said I'm the only one capable of making food!"

Yoh grinned. "You already did."

Her punch was weak against his chest. "Yoh!"

But he simply laughed and, in one swift movement, threw her on the ground. She squealed, but it was more from the coldness of the snow than the practically inexistent pain, because he had taken care to soften her fall and was now lying on top of her with the only thing sustaining his weight being his forearms.

Groaning yet again, she hit his chest, but then laughed as he kissed her. "I can't _believe_ you!"

Yoh grinned against her lips and rolled over, holding her on top of him by her hips. "I know," he murmured softly, one of his hands coming to brush a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

Nothing really mattered for her after that—nothing but the feel of his lips against hers and his fingers tangling in her hair, his hand resting securely on the small of her back and his warm body beneath her.

Only after a while did the cold become bothersome enough to burst through their bubble.

* * *

><p>Later that night, the blonde found herself in the darkened living room, curled up in front of the fireplace with a sleeping Hana using her lap as a pillow. Spaceball was lying closer to the fire, made into a big ball of yellow fur, but his ears were perked up and his beady eyes would peek out from where they was buried in his belly every time he heard movement.<p>

A smile pulling at the corners of her lips, Anna busied herself by brushing locks of blond hair away from her son's forehead, gently tracing his smooth skin.

She had always loved Hana. She had loved him from the moment she found out she was pregnant. Never did it occur to her that it would be hard or that she was insecure or that she didn't have a role model she could follow. He was the most precious person in her life, the one who mattered most, the one who came before everything. She would do anything to see him smile… and sometimes, it surprised her—this powerful, all-consuming love she had never thought she would feel.

"Hey," Yoh made his presence known in a hushed voice as he stepped over a stray pillow and slid down to the floor beside her. He had two cups of hot chocolate in his hands, one of which he handed to her.

"Thanks," she whispered as she accepted the white mug, one hand still running tenderly through Hana's hair.

Yoh couldn't help but smile widely as he watched them—the two most important persons in his life. He didn't know what he would do without them now that he had them; he couldn't remember what his life had been like before the two of them had stepped into it—and he didn't even _want_ to remember.

_This_ was his life. These were the cards he had been dealt. The way he had managed them was his own responsibility—and perhaps he had managed them exactly like he had been supposed to. Perhaps the events that he had always hated so much would have happened even if he had been the perfect husband and exactly the man Anna deserved. Perhaps they would have happened even if she had known exactly what he thought and felt and understood what he was going through without him having to voice it.

The point was… it didn't matter. The present was what mattered. Anna, Hana, him—_them_. He didn't want to focus on the past, but on the future—on _their_ future.

Anna smiled, throwing him a weird look when she noticed him staring. "What?" she asked.

Yoh smiled. "Nothing," he answered with a shrug. "It's just that… I never thought I'd see you like this again. I never thought I'd be given a second chance. I never thought…"

"…You'd be here with me now," she finished for him.

He nodded.

"Me neither." She smiled, and the tears in her eyes shone in the light of the flames.

Yoh shifted closer and caressed her cheek. "I want to leave the past behind," he whispered, eyes tracing the soft contours of her skin. "I don't want to keep thinking about what I did wrong or about what _you_ did wrong or about what I could have done to stop you from leaving me… about what I would have given to have you and Hana by my side all these years. I want…" He swallowed, and his eyes met hers. "I want to look to the future, and see you there—for sure."

Anna smiled, and at the same time a tear slipped down her smooth cheek, leaned in and kissed him.

There was a promise engraved in that kiss. A promise they both willed to protect and respect for the rest of their lives.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**__ I was kind of tempted to cram everything into this one chapter so that it didn't seem like I'm drawing out the story more than it needs to be drawn out. But then I realized it would be a mistake to speed up the pace right at the end. So, we'll have one more chapter of fluff!_

_Please review!_


	39. Thirty Eight

_**A/N:**__ And here we are! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews and unrelenting support! I loved every minute of this journey—well, maybe except for the parts when I was trying not to rip my hair out in frustration—and it feels somewhat bittersweet that it's come to an end, but it was inevitable._

_Thank you, once again, and enjoy! :)_

* * *

><p>That morning, Anna was awakened by a husky voice whispering in her ear and fingers trailing soothingly up and down her arm. She squirmed as goose-bumps erupted all over her skin with the movement, but smiled, regardless.<p>

"Morning, sleepyhead." She could hear the grin in his voice when he spoke.

Her smile widened. "Morning," she murmured, before rolling over onto her back.

"I brought you something," Yoh declared, handing her a steaming cup of tea. She pushed herself into a sitting position. "Careful, it's hot."

"Thank you," she whispered, before wrapping both hands around the warm mug and bringing it to her mouth. It tasted exactly the way she preferred—hot and not overly sweet.

Yoh climbed in bed with his own cup of tea in his hand and pulled her to his chest, smiling as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "Sleep well?"

Anna smiled. "Yes," she answered. "What time is it?"

The brunet shrugged. "Around ten."

Blinking, she turned to look at him. "And why is it that Hana hasn't caused a ruckus yet?"

Yoh laughed and took a sip of his tea. "I think he's tired; he was sound asleep when I went to see him. If you ask me, we won't have to worry about making food for at least two more hours."

Anna mirrored his grin and turned her head to press her lips to his in a sweet, chaste kiss. "That sounds good," she whispered once they pulled away, and when they did, her eyes were instantly drawn to the large window, where she could see fat snowflakes dancing in the air. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "It's _still_ snowing?" she asked, almost incredulously.

The snow had begun its descent while they were having dinner and had continued well into the night, until they fell asleep.

"Yep," Yoh answered. "I don't think it stopped. And you know what it reminds me of? That time when Horo-Horo invited us to his sky-lodge. Remember?"

Anna huffed, amused. "How could I forget?"

He laughed. "Yeah, that was a pretty crazy week."

"You mean _you all _were crazy," she supplied, making him laugh harder. A moment passed, before she shifted, changing her position so that she was now sitting Indian-style on the bed, facing him. Reaching out, she placed her half-empty mug on the nightstand. "You know…" she started, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Maybe it's time for you to get in touch with everybody again. I'm sure you miss them."

Yoh hesitated in answering; he frowned, swallowed, and reached up to scratch the back of his head. "I do, but…"

"I don't think they'll reject you," Anna continued. "Not if they're real friends—which I know they are. And I'm not talking about them only. I'm also talking about your family. About your mother…"

"She never did forgive me for letting you walk out of my life," he admitted, wrapping a blonde lock around his finger lovingly.

Anna's hand came to cover his. "She was never mad at you for that. She was disappointed. And, if anything, she was trying to open your eyes. But you are her son. Don't think for a moment that she could possibly care more about me."

"I know, but…"

"She would like to know that she has a grandson, Yoh. Your grandmother would like to know that the Asakura line doesn't end with you. And since I've hidden this for six years…" She shrugged. "That would put us on equal footing, don't you think?"

Yoh laughed. Placing his mug aside, next to hers, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap, forcing her to straddle him. Gazing up at her with a gentle look in his eyes, he moved a lock of hair behind her ear. "I made a lot of mistakes, Anna," he confessed. "I said a lot of things I shouldn't have."

"I know, Yoh," she told him, softly caressing his cheek. "We all do."

He swallowed, meeting her eyes. "Did you forgive me?"

"A long time ago," she answered without hesitation. A pause followed, before she returned his question with prodding eyes, "Did you?"

Yoh grinned, and his gaze suddenly turned mischievous. "I think you might still have some making up to do," he drawled as he grasped her hips and lowered her to the bed, before following suit on top of her.

Anna could only laugh.

* * *

><p>"Be careful," she heard his voice warning her and almost groaned out loud as she pawned at the hands that covered her eyes.<p>

"How am I supposed to be careful when I can't even see where I'm going?" she complained.

"That's why I'm telling you when to be careful, because you can't see," he replied cheerfully.

Anna would have rolled her eyes had they not been closed.

Up until now, only two things were clear to her: one, he had taken her to a restaurant that served delicious food; and two, he had covered her eyes and claimed he had a surprise. They might have also ridden an elevator to _somewhere_.

"Two more steps," he announced.

"You could have carried me at least," she muttered under her breath as she followed his instructions.

A door opened and a cold blast of air hit her body, sending blonde hair flying away from her face.

"No," Yoh said at the same time, "Because then you would have peeked."

"Of course I would have," she retorted, letting him lead her into what seemed to be open air. "You forced me to dress fancy when I hadn't _packed_ anything fancy. Then you forced me to leave Hana alone with a dog in the middle of nowhere so I could go eat with you—as if we didn't have food in the house. And then you made me climb stairs with my eyes closed. _Of course_ I would have peeked."

Yoh laughed—a sound so joyful that everything inside her melted in an instant.

"I left Amidamaru with Hana," he said, soothing the small part inside of her that, he knew, would always worry about her child. "Nothing will happen to him." He pressed his cheek against hers, and she could feel his grin as he spoke, "Ready?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, and he laughed softly once more.

"Alright," he whispered, and removed his hands from her eyes.

Anna blinked. Once, twice, until her sight accommodated. Then she gasped.

They were on top of a building, clearly the tallest in the small town, overlooking the whole surroundings. It was nighttime, the snow was sparkling and the city was twinkling.

Anna took a step forward, and then another, until she reached the metal railing that marked the edge of the building. "I may consider forgiving you," she announced, turning her head to see a grinning Yoh approaching her.

"That's nice," he joked.

"So, what was it about this place that Hana couldn't see?" she asked as he came to stand beside her.

"It's not about the place," he denied, and leaned with his forearms against the railing. "It's about what I'm about to tell you."

Frowning, almost amused, she mirrored his position. "What _are_ you about to tell me?"

"That I've been thinking…"

"That's a nice surprise."

Yoh grinned, but continued, "About all the things that we've done wrong in our past relationship."

"Go figure," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's all you ever think about—when you do."

"That may be true," he admitted with a shrug. "On my part, though, I came up with quite a list. But aside from being an asshole and never letting you speak and pushing you away and blaming you for almost everything and—and a lot more, really… I also never gave you an engagement ring. And I never proposed to you in the real sense of the word."

Her eyes widened once his words registered in her mind. Yoh straightened and turned to face her; she did the same, the teasing glint gone from her eyes as she watched him warily. He slid his hand into the pocket of his pants and then pulled it out, holding a little velvet box.

Anna covered her mouth with her hand—and he smiled.

"I'm not going to get down on one knee because I know you wouldn't like that," he announced.

The blonde resorted to nodding, unable to speak.

He opened the black box and moved it so that she could see the small piece of jewelry. It was made of precious stones that twinkled in the faint light, but it was delicate and elegant—and more than what she could have ever imagined.

"What I _am_ going to do is ask you if you like it," Yoh said, coaxing her gaze to meet his. "Because Hana said you would, but I'm not sure…"

Anna blinked and a tear escaped her eye, trailing down her cheek. Her heart seemed to beat at a thousand miles per hour.

She hurried to nod. "I do," she whispered.

Yoh smiled. "So… Will you marry me?" As much as he had worried about the moment when he would ask the question basically his entire life depended on, the words felt natural as they rolled past his lips. Everything with Anna was natural, simple, and right; there was no other woman for him.

Her own smile broke through as she let her hand fall from her mouth. "Again?" she teased.

He pulled the ring out and gently took her left hand in his. "Forever, this time?" he asked, holding her gaze.

A moment passed, and another tear slipped down her cheek. "Yes," she eventually said, calmly and quietly, but firmly.

Yoh grinned. The ring slid effortlessly over her finger and came to rest perfectly at its base.

Then she was in his arms, and the world seemed to resume its circular movement around them, picking up from where it had left six years before.

There was no better feeling to be experienced.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**__ Yay, we're done! As you already know, there will be an epilogue, but this is the official end of the story! I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it—and, hopefully, even more! _

_I'm planning a short project next, since I'm in no condition to start another long story. I'm oscillating between a cute family fic with a twist—which means you get to see Hana again—and a dramatic, not entirely AU but still somewhat in that sphere, one. Which would you most be inclined to read? Hopefully, you'll see either of them up soon! _

_Now, I'd like to know…_

_1. What did you like most about this story?  
>2. What did you not like?<br>3. What do you think about my interpretation of Hana? It's the first I've ever done.  
>4. Favorite scene?<br>5. Favorite line?_

_I'd love to hear your answers! :)_


	40. Epilogue

The nature was calm that late February evening. It had stopped snowing during the day, and the night sky was clear and dotted with sparkling stars.

The old house was, for the most part, silent. The lights were out in all the rooms save for one, and the usual buzz of the television was nonexistent.

Yoh frowned as the beginnings of consciousness started to tug at the corners of his mind, slowly but surely bringing him back to awareness.

The first thing he noticed was the sweet, inciting smell that practically assaulted his senses. The second was the small, reassuring weight pushing against his chest. Finally, the third, was the soft blanket that covered him without him having bothered to tug it over from the back of the couch by himself.

As the fog slowly lifted from his brain, he was able to discern the voices that had bothered him and place who they belonged to.

A sleepy smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

"I don't know why you're insisting," he heard his wife of two years say, a slight edge to her voice. "I already told you. It's not happening."

"Well, I have to at least _try_ to change your mind!" his son answered. "I—"

"The only thing you'll manage by causing such a ruckus is to wake your father up. And then, I _promise_ you, you'll end up without dinner."

"I know, Mom, but you can't—"

"Of course I can. I'm your mother, I can do whatever I want and you'll have to listen and do whatever I say."

He could picture her smug smile as she spoke, and his own grin widened.

Anna and Hana had never stopped their petty arguments, and no matter how many times they woke him up or forced him to step in and pick a side that would always leave him in disadvantage, he would never grow tired of hearing them.

Heaving a silent sigh, he shifted and kissed the top of his five-month-old daughter. Smiling against her soft hair, he placed a hand over her small back, feeling the rhythmic movement of her steady breaths. She made a soft noise in the back of her throat and her little fist tightened around the fabric of his shirt.

In the background, Anna and Hana's bickering continued.

Yoh grinned. Life was good.

It was all he could have ever asked for and even more.


End file.
